Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training is one of the best and most useful books for fitness and especially barbell training. The previous addition of this book sold over 80,000 copies in a market with thousands of other fitness books. Along with other books in the series, this book creates a very practical way to implement barbell training into a strength program. It has been six years since the second edition. The principles in the book have been tested, used on athletes, and presented in seminars by the author, Mark Rippetoe. The information has been slightly changed to have the most up to date bio-mechanical facts. The methods in this book are directed primarily at athletes, but these principles have been shown to be successful with every category
I would recommend this book for just about everyone. Beginners who read it and apply it will have a great resource to learn good techniques right off the bat. Even experienced lifters would get something out of this book. There is always more to learn, and you might not know as much as you think you do. The book basically sticks to how to lift properly, almost exclusively with a barbell.
The book goes over the major lifts with the barbell like the squat, bench press, deadlift, and power clean. Rippetoe used whole chapters to break down each lift, so the detail is really in depth. The book not only describes what you should do with working muscles, but it also goes into detail about other body parts that are not directly in the lift. It also talks about small details that you might not normally think about, like hand placement.
Graphics and pictures are in abundance throughout the book, so if you like pictures you will enjoy it. There is also a smaller portion that goes over secondary lifts like the chin-up, dip, rows, barbell curls, etc.
Overall, it is a very practical and in depth piece of work that can benefit every level of athlete or lifter.
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