Let me preface my review by telling you I’ve yet to try any of the routines in the book, so I can’t share my personal results with them.
That being said I am still impressed by this book for the following reasons:
Do-ability: Unlike programs found in other recently published books you can actually do these routines in a commercial gym. Other programs (such as the ones found in NROL) have you hog up to 4 pieces of equipment simultaneously (I like Alwyn’s writings but we don’t live in the same reality or, simply, don’t have access to the same type of gyms). In Huge in a Hurry (HIAH) CW gives his reasons for why exercises should be performed in a circuit, but also takes the time to explain how you can customize the circuits to be done in straight sets.
Secondly, HIAH’s set/rep recommendation is fantastic. As opposed to other programs that require you hit a certain amount of reps per set while taking specific rest periods (Side question: has anyone ever successfully used the correct weight for those undulating programs?!?!?) , HIAH recommends a load, total reps, and lets you complete them in whichever way your body best performs.
Diet: In the spirit of keeping things simple HIAH’s nutritional recommendation is well thought out without encouraging obsessive compulsive behavior (as opposed to some of Tom Venuto’s e-books). Also important is it clearly states the routines will only work if you eat according to your goals.
Tone: I have to admit I was reluctant to purchase this book because of my love/hate for CW’s online articles. On the one hand the man has some interesting/counter-intuitive ideas about training that is not normally presented in mainstream publications. On the other hand he does make incredibly bold statements and often times seems to belittle tradition despite it’s proven track record.
Luckily his tone in this book is very relaxed and flexible. At no point in time do you feel like he’s telling you his is the only way to train, but simply that he’s providing an alternative to tradition. Of course he clearly indicates his bias, but it’s a much softer stance than what I’ve come used to.
Bottom line: If you’re thinking about buying a training book, either because you want to try new routines or simply because you want to expand your training knowledge beyond ‘3x10’ - I highly recommend this book.