New Rules of Lifting

I picked up a new book the other day, "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove.  I usually don't expect to find anything revolutionary in fitness books, but I always hope to learn something.

The book's main focus is to simplify weightlifting into essential movements.  The authors note Schmidt's theory of human movement and focus on six core movements:

• Squat
• Bend (deadlift)
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Twist

The idea is that all these moves are functional, and represented important actions for hunter-gatherers.  They also advocate the use of free weights as compared to machines, as, of course, all hunter-gatherer movements were using something approximating "free weights."

I think focusing on these six movements is beneficial.  My usual workout consists of three movements: bend, push, and pull.  I've really never done much with lunging or twisting, but I will try to include these movements in future workouts.

Overall, the book was a pretty good read.  The authors know that there's no real "secret" to lifting, and they don't make such claims.  I felt this book did a good job of showing how simple weight workouts can really be.