World Of Exercise

The Complete Book of Abs Revised and Expanded Edition

Kurt Brungardt was at the front end of the abdominal obsession. His Abs of Steel video was a bestseller, and the original Complete Book of Abs, published in 1993, was considered the bible of midsection exercises for trainers and fitness enthusiasts. The obsession has only grown since then, manifested by dubious infomercial products, a burgeoning fitness-magazine industry promising readers great abs with almost no investment of time and effort, and (perhaps because of the shortcomings of the first two phenomena) a boom in the demand for legitimate nutritionists and personal trainers. Even Brungardt himself came out with a 1998 book, 3-Minute Abs, to take advantage of the craze.

With all that going on, it seems hard to believe that there’s anything new to say about abdominal exercise. Indeed, this revised version of The Complete Book of Abs doesn’t really try. There is a new prebeginner midsection routine, which leads into the more advanced exercise regimens described in the original book, and a handful of new exercises. But other than that, the expanded sections are in nutrition (several new pages of recipes) and total-body fitness (new photos demonstrating exercises for body parts other than abs).

Still, the original package is a terrific deal: more than 100 exercises, numerous training routines, and lots of basic information about exercise and diet. Each abdominal exercise is rated for difficulty on a scale of 1 to 3 and how risky it is to the lower back. The routines are complete and thoughtfully compiled, and there’s not a bit of advice in the entire book that isn’t scientifically legitimate. That’s why this book–in either edition–remains indispensable for those serious enough about fitness to need information that goes beyond the basics. –Lou Schuler END

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Lots of exercises, but some info is really dated
Ok, the exercises in this book are great. There are a LOT of different exercises for the the different portions of the abs / core area. So I think it’s great for all levels, and also great for people who have some structural or functional weaknesses. i.e., if one exercise is hurting you for some reason, then there are a bunch of other ones that you can try. Another very helpful aspect is that it mentions how much stress each exercise places on your lower back, which is very important for me (I had a herniated disc a few months ago), and I imagine a lot of other people will find this useful as well.

However, the book is pretty dated. I think the last update/revision was in the mid-late 1990s, something like 1995-1997. So some of the information, especially the part that talks about diet and nutrition, is pretty old.

In fact, in one part they actually say ‘There is some evidence to prove that eating six meals a day may actually be better for you.’ I don’t think I need to tell anyone that it’s pretty much a fact by this point that eating several small meals throughout the day is what you should be doing, so when this book said that ‘there is some evidence’, that made me look at the front to see when it was updated, and it said 1996 or something.

So that took a lot of credibility away from the diet and nutrition aspect of the book. I mean, ab exercises probably have not changed that much in the last 10 years, but there have been huge changes and advances in the field of diet and nutrition in the past decade. So it just seems very strange why they have not bothered to update that part of the book. Especially considering that diet is almost more important than exercise when it comes to abs, which is something they mention in the book as well.

4 Stars By comparing over 10 abs books, I concluded…
I purchased about 10 books from Amazon on abs in order to compare them. This one has quite a bit of information, good lay-out and organization, and is well-written for this type of book. My conclusions on how it compares with the other books follow…

If You Want to Trim Your Waistline: You can’t trim your waistline without losing fat, and you can’t lose fat around your waist without losing it everywhere (focusing on a muscle group like the abdominal muscles doesn’t burn fat in that location, just a little bit of fat from everywhere on the body). So, if you want to trim your waistline, skip the ab workout books and go with a good, proven overall weight loss and fitness book like Bill Phillips’ Body for Life. The Abs Diet is a similar program, but like all the Men’s Health publications, it advertises a 6-week transformation, which is just a little unrealistic. Plan on more like 12-24 weeks to see really noticeable changes if you are fat.

If You Want Sculpted Six-Pack Abs: If you are overweight at all, see above–you can’t get a six pack while you’re overweight, and you can’t lose abdominal fat by doing an ab workout, so go for overall fitness. However, if you are already lean, see below.

If You Want to Strengthen or Build Your Ab Muscles: If you’re trying to improve for work, play, or rehab, you might consider the following books: The Body Sculpting Bible for Abs Deluxe DVD Edition contains decently up-to-date information and tells you exactly what to do and when to do it, based on a six-week fitness course. If you’re looking for a similar book with more information, you can choose from The Complete Book of Abs or The Complete Book of Core Training. The Complete Book of Abs (1998) is a little out of date in terms of its dietary/nutritional recommendations, but it focuses more on exercises that develop the external abdominal muscles (the ones you see in a six-pack), including lots of variations on leg lifts, bicycle motion, and sit-ups. It will also give you more resources for creating your own program, and, if that’s what you want to do, go with this one instead of The Body Sculpting Bible. The Complete Book of Core Training (2006) focuses more on the functional body core, including internal abdominal muscles, legs, etc., and includes more trendy exercises using medicine balls, exercise balls, yoga, etc. A different sort of book is Stronger Abs and Back (1997), which was written before the current fad of selling “core training,” but contains the elements of core training because it gives good functional sports-focused advice. Its dietary recommendations are out of date, but it recommends a 24-week workout plan, which is much more realistic than the 6-week plans advocated by many of the other books.

If You Have Back Pain: See your doctor, and if he prescribes abdominal/core strengthening, see above.

My one-book recommendation: Body for Life.

My two-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back.

My three-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs.

My four-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs + The Abs Diet.

Hope this helps!!

3 Stars Great for begginers, OK for intermediate, not great for Advanced
Great book for begginers…I have been working out and eating nutritious for 2 years now, so this book gave me no suprises. Great info on how calories are stored, a few good tips on nutrition here and there. Great ab exersizes, and the 6 month plan to ripped abs is good. Just starting my first day of ab program today. Wish me luck!

5 Stars truely complete and scientific
The book views the subject from every aspect(diet, exercise, attitude, mentality, tricks, boredom alternatives), and in every of these aspects with scientific accuracy. Although 10 year old book i strongly recommend it to every one who want REALLY to trim and develop his abs.

4 Stars the complete book of abs
this book has helped me strengthen my core. i have a bad back and this book was very helpful to not aggravate it while i worked out.

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