Men's Health Ultimate Dumbbell Guide: More Than 21,000 Moves Designed to Build Muscle, Increase Strength, and Burn Fat Kindle Edition

Over the years I have read numerous books on the use of weights for strength and fitness but I must say that this 275 page soft cover book (Ultimate Dumbbell Guide by Myatt Murphy) has the most total and complete text I have ever read on the use of dumbbells. I purchased this book on Amazon for a bargain price and if you are seeking a book that has more than 21,000 different moves and variations of using the dumbbells for strength and total fitness.This excellent text is filled with black and white photographs showing each exercise. The three parts in this book covers the following material: part one is about the truth about dumbbells and the many options and advantages to using dumbbells in your workout programs. Part two explains the master moves and how to work your abs, arms, back, chest, legs, and shoulders. Part three deals with how to create a million moves for your muscles by following the plan in this book.This is the best book on the use of dumbbells I have ever read and if you use dumbbells in your workout programs you should check out this book.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Training Alone in Combatives and Self-Defense).

First, this is a solid book. The information provided is all accurate, to my knowledge, and organized reasonably.The problem is its emphasis on numbers of moves instead of good form. The author will list a scant 4-5 bullet points describing a basic "master move" like the squat and then spend 15 pages describing different ways to tweak it to create more variations, "new moves."This is way out of proportion. There should be much more discussion of the basic move, guidelines for doing it safely, techniques for keeping body in proper form, etc. To be fair, the author does occasionally include a safety tip, but IMO, far too few. For some moves, like the bicep curl, this approach may be fine, but for more complex moves like the squat, lunge, deadlift, etc., a few bullet points feels totally inadequate. There needs to be way more information on stance width, leg posture, back posture, breathing, cadence, range of motion, proper weight selection, etc.If you're a beginner, this is not a safe introduction, and if you're an expert, I doubt you'll learn much. Do you really need to be told you can do a bicep curl seated on bench, seated on a swiss ball, one hand at a time, both hands at once, one hand constricting while the other is relaxing, overhand, underhand, standing, etc. And then it's this same list of variations repeated for each exercise, usually with no additional info specific to the core exercise. It's obvious that one can do most of those same variations with the preacher curl. It's just so, so much repetition and fluff.Now, all of that said, I actually do like the book. I had a trainer years ago and know generally how to be safe and lift responsibly, and I got the book to remind me of exercises and variations. If you're like me and just want a refresher with a few new moves, it's good for that. Just be prepared to skip a lot of pages.EDIT: I read this on my Kindle. So when I say, "15 pages," I mean Kindle pages. Also, I recently read "The Great Dumbbell Handbook" by Potvin, and while it's only 1/4 the size, I think it provides more actual instruction on how to perform core dumbbell exercises correctly. It's definitely better for beginners, with its emphasis on form and safety.

This book has the huge flaw, that it does not state specifically, which muscle groups are targeted by any given exercise. A typical exercise states that the "back" is targeted. That's all. The back is a big region of the body. It is not a muscle. A better book would state which of the muscles in the back are most targeted. There's a huge difference between an exercise that targets the trapesius, and one that targets the extensor muscles.This flaw makes this book unsuitable for anyone who is serious about constructing a dumbbell exercise routine.

It's good to make as much in our life as simple as possible. This book will make your workouts simple. But it will also make you strong and toned and help you burn fat.Nothing beats dumbbells. I bought this book because I have a unique problem at this time and needed a way to workout but take it easy on a torn rotator cuff. I can't lift the barbell at all because my right arm has lost most of it's mobility. It's coming back but it's not totally back.So I needed a way to workout and not let my muscles atrophy. So now I can use a lighter weight in my right hand and my regular heavy weight in my left and do bench presses. No, it's not ideal. But it works.Of course, that's not what this book is about. It's not for those with injuries. It's for anyone. All you really need are dumbbells. The author even tells you the various types you can get and the advantages and disadvantages of each.To your dumbbells you will probably want to add a bench or, at the least, a fitness ball. But for a small investment, you can get all you need to get a real workout in the privacy of your home. And I mean a "safe" workout.The author gives exercises for all levels. He describes them fully and tells you how you should go about each exercise, how many reps and sets.Oh, and gals, don't be afraid to buy the book. You have muscles too.This is a great resource and I highly recommend it to you.- Susanna K. Hutcheson

I bought this hoping I would find more exercises like Arnold press and Renegade rows; instead this book has all the most common dumbbell exercises and all the varieties to do them. It was a good book, but did know most of the exercises a head of time. Great book for someone just starting out, but if you know how to use dumbbell this is probably not the book for you. I mean it didn't have Arnold press or Renegade rows in the whole book.Update 1/14/14 I've had this book for longer now and have come to really appreciate all of the exercises in it. It has the basic which are illustrated, but it has the more advanced techniques detailed in the end of the chapters. Plus it was cool to get a comment from author of the book.

This book is okay. I think I expected more theory and detailed explanation of each exercise but it's fairly minimal. The main thrust of this book is not the individual exercises, it is the way the author combines them into super-exercises. I'm only a beginner so haven't gone past the beginner exercises but when you compare this book with any one of a number of popular Youtube clips showing the same exercises, you realise how much better it is learning from video than from a book.

The cover states thousands of different exercises, but for example it has the hammer curl standing, hammer curl sitting, on a Swiss ball, sat on a bench etc etc... so very few actual different exercises...Printed on very cheap paper too...My copy went straight back...

Great simple guide for a free weights beginner. Organised by muscle section that you wish to exercise it is a comprehensive guide to aid you if you want to focus on a muscle group. I'm sure it would also be beneficial for experienced gym goers who want a bit of change in their routine as well.

This is genuinely a great book for people wanting to work with dumbells. There's a lot to read but it's easy to build a structure and build on it as you develop your experience and want more variation. It covers just about every workout you could hope for using dumbells. And all this for a small price. Highly recommend.

Book is very good, however would not say it was brand new. Organised a replacement which arrived in exactly same condition, all worn around the edges.