Customer Rating: 
Summary: ACSM Fitness Book
Comment: This book is an update of a book I have had and used for years. It is excellent--thorough and clearly written.
Customer Rating:
Summary: ACSM Fitness Book
Comment: This is a basic fitness book for people who have not been active, or who have been somewhat active but not consistently. It is definitely a "start where you are" book, with lots of good basic information about how to get started for those who are a little nervous about it. It would be a great book for health professionals to direct their patients who need to get moving to. There is a chapter on goal setting that is very realistic. The 6 week program starts at a very basic level, but there are more advanced levels for those who can take it. It is non-judgmental in tone. It is not for those who have been active for a while, but it serves it's intended purpose very well.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good for complete fitness novices
Comment: If you want to get in shape, but have no idea how to do so and are too embarrassed to go to a gym, then this book is for you. The book begins by having the reader take a self-assessment test wich is composed of a 1-mile walk/run, push-ups, and toe touch. Don't feel bad if you can't do any of the above, the book covers that situation. From there, in a user-friendly, color-coded format, the book helps you design a program that fits your needs.
I bought the book thinking it would help me design a weight-training program for myself. It isn't that advanced. All of the resistance training it contains can be performed sith just your body weight and some common household items (such as water bottles).
For a complete novice, this is where to begin. If, like me, you're a little more advanced, but want help in setting up a weight-lifting program, then I recommend Weight Training Steps to Success by Baechle and Groves.
