The new rules of lifting
by Lou Schuler · first published 2005
86% recommend14% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Practical beginner-friendly strength training guide that covers fitness basics and organizes exercises into movement patterns like squat, deadlift, lunge, push, pull and twist, with ready-made programs for motivation.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A revolutionary method of weight lifting using today's science for maximum results.In The New Rules of Lifting, fitness guru Lou Schuler and strength-training expert Alwyn Cosgrove boil down the most recent findings on weight lifting and fitness to create a program of workouts that focuses on the movements at which the body naturally excels. These six "real-life" movements-squat, bend, lunge, push, pull, and twist-compose three complete programs for three distinct goals: fat loss, muscle gain, and strength improvement.At home or at the gym, these routines can be mixed and matched for a year's
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…Fitness FAQ is also quite good. Neither is selling anything, a key point: http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs/Fitness Rippetoe is a good introduction to strength. The "New Rules of Lifting" books by Schuler and Cosgrove go a bit broader (and add some scope to strength training), as well as add the introductory phase that some untrained individuals might benefit from which Rippetoe largely…
on “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout” ↗…well as micros (vitamins & minerals). They also tend to emphasize short meal prep and economy of ingredients. Tip: books oriented at women tend to focus far more on food and recipes. I've found the New Rules of Lifting series to be quite good in this regard, and whilst both the "For Men" and "For Women" titles emphasize nutrition, the women's book covers this in much more detail. These are vastly more useful than the…
on “Ask HN: How do you decide what to eat/mealplan?” ↗…right in the 1950s. Understand your basic macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats) and how they're used by your body. 3: Read a good book on fitness. One of the best I've seen in the past decade is The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. It covers basics of fitness, nutrition, strength training, identifies six foundational exercises (squats, deads, lunges, "push" (presses), "pull" (rows/chins), and twist).…
on “Exercises for a programmer sitting by the PC all day” ↗…them through a model. A good online site for same: http://www.linear-software.com/online.html If you want some fitness basics a good start is here: http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html For books, "The New Rules of Lifting" is decent. You can do the workouts at home, though a gym helps: http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Maximum-Muscle/dp/15... I actually prefer a good 5x5 program for beginners (simpler, brutally…
on “The Secret Ingredient In Your Orange Juice” ↗…http://www.liamrosen.com/fitness If you're looking for a good solid strength program, buy Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength and do the program. A slightly more varied, and less hardcore program is in Schuler & Cosgrove's The New Rules of Lifting. I find the texts complementary. SS has the better (IMO) beginner's program, TNROL has more complete information on overall fitness and diet. SS is also going to benefit more from access to a proper…
on “Can three minutes of exercise a week help make you fit?” ↗…strength training for 6-12 months. See if it changes your perceived fitness and comfort. Like it? Keep it up. Don't? You've gained experience points and it's cost you little else. I'm a fan of The New Rules of Lifting (which describes much of the science and health/fitness benefits in much greater depth) and Starting Strength (a simpler and very brutally effective lifting program) myself. Oh, and when you get into…
on “A standing desk for $22” ↗…Practice of Strength Training, Schmitz's Olympic-Style Weightlifting and Gambetta's Athletic Development: The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning) is solid. I'd add Schuler & Cosgrove's The New Rules of Lifting* more for its fitness and nutritional background than its training program, though that too is good. For community, Reddit's /r/fitness, /r/advancedfitness, and /r/weightroom are good. The one significant…
on “Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie (2011)” ↗…toes and hands is an effort itself, contrast with the far less stressful inversion, the bench press) should be combined with other complementary core movements and exercises. I'm a fan generally of the "New Rules of Lifting" model from Lou Schuler (though there are of course many, many strength-training methods which work), which identifies six key movements: push (you're doing these), pull, twist, squat, lunge, and deadlift.…
on “I am doing 100k push-ups this year” ↗…Loss: http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/01/hierarchy-of-fat-loss/ Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie: http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness... For a great beginner's book, The New Rules of Lifting (Schuler and Cosgrove) distills a lot of good knowledge, and Starting Strength (Rippetoe and Kilgore) has one of the most brutally effective novice strength programs bar none. It helps to understand…
on “This Is Why You Don't Go to the Gym” ↗…including a list of online journals (<https://exrx.net/Journals>) and expert talks (<https://exrx.net/Talks>). Good books on fitness will link to research substantiating recommendations (Lou Schuler's New Rules of Lifting series is a good example of this).
on “A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool” ↗…information is neither terribly complicated nor controversial, but clear presentation is at odds with business models, as noted at the top of this comment. I'm a fan of ExRx (<https://exrx.net>), and find the New Rules of Lifting books (Schuler, Cosgrove, et al) good introductions, though there are of course many other websites and books.
on “Everything You Know About Fitness Is a Lie (2011)” ↗…Sleep, manage stress, get approriate recovery, cut out toxins in your life (chemical and social), address injuries or illnesses. Be gentle but firm with yourself. If you want more, take a look at The New Rules of Lifting, Body for Life, or Mark Rippetoe's excellent Starting Strength. In time you'll see big changes. Pretty much guaranteed. Oh: yes, it's a lifestyle thing, you see. You'll have to keep doing some of…
on “The Fat Trap: Our Bodies Are Fighting Against Us” ↗I too was perplexed by the OP's aversion to deadlifts. It's pretty much a staple exercise in most strength training programs - right from Rippletoe's classic "Starting Strength Training" to "New Rules of Lifting" to even StrongLifts 5x5.
on “Why I Don’t Do CrossFit” ↗…is nothing close to enough for a well rounded workout. If you want to do a workout without a gym Google bodyweight training. If you have access to a gym then look at the books 'Starting Strength' or 'New Rules of Lifting.' Both are good books by excellent authors and give you plenty of workout plans. With either, expect to spend about an hour in the gym 3 times per week.
on “Weight Lifting for Hackers” ↗…my possible strength or 90%. The hour workout touches on some studies that I have read that going over an hour often doesn't get you much with respect to strength training. Another good book is "The New Rules of Lifting."
on “This Is Why You Don't Go to the Gym” ↗