Stuart McRobert's New Brawn Series, Book 1: How to Build Up to 50 Pounds of Muscle the Natural Way

Stuart McRobert is one of the giants of bodybuilding literature, and had a tremendous influence during the 90s and early 2000s with his classic books Brawn and Beyond Brawn, as well as his Hardgainer magazine.Fast forward 20 years after the first publishing of his landmark book Brawn, and he releases "New Brawn, Book 1", the first of several books aimed at the young generation of bodybuilders, using a different, simpler approach compared to his other books.In order to be able to properly appreciate the contents of this book however, you need to have in mind who its target audience is and what its purposes are:* The target audience are beginners and intermediate lifters with a moderate understanding of bodybuilding who want to start on the right foot and get their weight training fundamentals right by diving into all the nitty-gritty of bodybuilding* The purpose of the book is to revive and repopularize the 20-rep squat routine, one of the most famous and successful routines of the golden era of bodybuilding, and at the same time go into much greater detail on it than all the other previous booksIf you have read Brawn and Beyond Brawn, you already have an advanced knowledge of bodybuilding, and the only novelty to you will be the routine itself. If you have also read Randall Strossen's "Super Squats", you also have great knowledge of the routine itself, although Stuart takes a more grounded, long-term approach to it which I feel makes it the superior choice. If you fall into neither of those two categories, and would consider yourself a novice or intermediate in bodybuilding, then this book is a fantastic starting point for you on the road to success.I will just say one more thing about the routine: I don't normally believe that there is such a thing as a "perfect routine", but if we were ever forced to choose just one of the millions of routines devised over the decades, one that would give the best mass gains in the shortest amount of time, this routine would certainly hold the crown.Yes, it is that good.And yes, I have gained more in four months of doing this routine than I have in two years of doing everything else.

Many years ago,when I started training,the recipe for mass building was 4x8-10 reps per exercise and for getting cut up it was 5x15-20 reps but with much lighter weights.The first time I heard about high AND heavy reps(specifically for squats and deadlifts)was through the pages of HARDGAINER(probably the best physical culture magazine ever written)and the legendary book BRAWN.With his new book,Stuart goes back to Peary Rader era and his famous 20-rep squat routine.But in this book Stuart explores the famous routine in a deep,thorough way.He puts on paper a much more complete program than the Rader one,with far more variations and options,but he includes the specific schedule that Peary used himself.Everything you need to know to have your own great success is in here,step-by-step.And it's all explained with Stuart usual no-nonsense,honest,trustworthy manner.Although I had some success when I first tried the 20-rep routine,I made some mistakes which marred my overall results.But had I had Stuart's new book to study back then,I would have been much better informed and would have made much better progress.When the steroid era started,the 20-rep routine faded from popularity.Thank you Stuart for reviving this fantastic routine,but in a modernized,improved way.I'm sure that Peary Rader is smiling at us from the Big Gym in the beyond!This book is a must read for all serious bodybuilders.Bruno Govoni

This book has a lot of great details and gives you everything you need to create a successful routine. It debunks a lot of training myths and explains why a lot of people do not make big gains despite all the hard work. It gives step by step on designing your workout: eating right, resting, getting a solid base, stretching, tracking progress, staying motivated, etc. This book also goes over the proper form for every exercise with pictures and desrciptions. If anything, that alone has helped me tremendously. I was shocked to find I was performing a lot of stuff incorrectly and once corrected I could feel the difference. Overall: I have already made great gains in just my first run through of the course. I feel an increase in overall strength and great endurance througout my normal day. This book sits on my desk and i reference it all the time. Fantastic buy but patience is key with this program (as with any really).

A thorough and well thought out guide to building strength and muscle mass. Similar in nature to his other books; yet, has some new, updated, or revised information in an easy to follow layout. Geared towards natural trainees; however, the advice will work for the genetically gifted and assisted bodybuilders also. The book covers proper exercise form to avoid injury and get the most out of the movement, nutritional aspects (including a one day sample meal plan which was not included in his other books), and recovery tips (including important stretches with pictures). An easy-to-read, excellent training manual for all serious bodybuilders.

I couldn't read this book cover to cover as its not from what I've read any different than its earlier editions.

If you are a lifter and have problems with some of the workouts that are posted on the Internet or in magazines, then do yourself a favor and pick up Stuart McRobert's latest book--New Brawn. Just like his other books (Brawn, Beyond Brawn) they will give you new insight in your workouts. Much of the information hits home for me. Stuart McRobert does care about us trainees and is sincere with his instruction. Give it a shot--it might be what you need to get over that stagnation.

Best book for skinny and hardgainer

Das Buch ist umfassend, zu allen Bereichen des Trainings findet man Informationen. Letztlich handelt es sich um einen Baukasten für Ganzkörperworkouts auf Basis von 20er Atemkniebeugen. Dieser ist aber so detailiert und umfangreich dass es kaum ein anderer Autor bisher geschafft so gut auf das Training mit Atempause einzugehen. Eine moderne Version des Programms das Peary Rader hat wachsen lassen. Für den Preis muss man dieses Buch einfach kaufen. Das bisher beste in meinem Regal.

Stuart McRobert's previous books (Brawn, Beyond Brawn, et al) are the most helpful resources I have yet to find on the confounding subjects of weight-training and mass building. I fell for the conventional bodybuilding hype early in my training life, and suffered tremendous setbacks due to lack of correct training in my late teens and early twenties when my growing body needed it most. I discovered Beyond Brawn a few years later and never looked back. New Brawn Series, Book #1 takes all of McRobert's ideas to their logical conclusion, resulting in his most important and accessible work to date.New Brawn Series, Book #1 aggregates and abbreviates McRobert's ideas into a wonderful, concise weight-training compendium, replete with McRobert's signature mantras of hard work with good form, progresssive poundages, and drug-free training. For new trainees, this book can be life-changing. For experienced trainees, this book can help stalled progress or re-invigorate current cycles. New Brawn Series, Book #1 is a no-nonsense, top to bottom outline of how to succeed in and out of the weight-room. The book lays out the troubles of conventional bodybuilding which is all under-pinned by drug use, presenting a powerful alternative to the mainstream misinformation machine, which feeds an endless stream of vacuous advice to the public. McRobert's approach works. I have seen it with my own eyes and own body, and in the results of many others.Of all the information in the book, perhaps the most exciting section is McRobert's most in-depth analysis yet of 20-rep work. Whether you are a new or old trainee, this section is incedibly useful. 20-rep work is the old-school and now the new-school foundation to a successful training routine. As a long-time practitioner of this approach, I appreciated the new information, especially the breathing and mental techniques to get through the grinding sets. 20-rep work is body and mind-changing. This is the last word on the subject and a must-read.Another exciting feature of New Brawn Series, Book #1 are the workout plans, detailed like never before in a McRobert book. This is especially beneficial for younger trainees who may be confused by the routines promoted in conventional training magazines and books. The sets and reps are clearly outlined and all exercises have an accompanying outline on correct performance in the technique section of the book. And in a really helpful move, mechanisms for planning long-term growth are included.I believe weight-training is the best, yet, one of the least understood and, generally, the most poorly executed of exercise forms. This book is the antidote to the poison of conventional training. I have studied and used McRobert's methods for a decade and have never written about it here or anywhere. New Brawn Series, Book #1 is a masterpiece that only a lifetime of study could have produced. These methods work.

Another solid addition to my training library from Stuart Robert.I should point out that if you have some of the authors other titles, such as Beyond Brawn or Lose Fat, Build Muscle, Feel Great you will find some repetition here. This is very much distilled essence of his previous works directed more at the beginner or even those seasoned pro's who have not yet tried abbreviated workouts.This book emphasis 'course #1' which is a beginner routine based on the abbreviated workouts of Peary Rader (1909-1991) who found these beneficial to his own body transformation. They are good solid routines following Stuarts training philosophy of less, not more.This book would be very suitable for beginners, even those with no prior knowledge of Stuart McRobert's ideas.I note this is titled as Book #1 so I wonder if a Book #2 will appear....

I already own "The Insider's Tell-All on Weight-Training Technique, Revised 3rd Ed". This book is really not needed in addition. The pictures and text are the same. If you don't own this or "Brawn", "Beyond Brawn: The Insider's Encyclopedia on How to Build Muscle & Might" then you should buy this. Otherwise leave it.