Get ready to climb a staircase—one that will lead you to become stronger, more fit, and more knowledgeable about weight training. You cannot leap to the top, but you can reach it by climbing one step at a time.
Research by sporting goods manufacturers acknowledges that weight training, with over 50 million participants, is the single most popular type of fitness training activity in the United States. The reason for this popularity is quite simple. The results are quick, and they dramatically contribute to improved strength, muscle tone, body reproportioning, appearance, and health. Unfortunately, not many books on the subject are written so that an inexperienced person can easily understand the information and use it with confidence. Terminology is often confusing, explanations are unclear, and readers are expected to understand too much information at one time. The approach taken in this book does not assume that one explanation or illustration is enough to allow readers to become knowledgeable about and skilled at weight training concepts and exercises. Instead, carefully developed procedures and drills accompany each step and provide you with ample practice and self-assessment opportunities.
This book focuses on two primary areas. First, it helps you learn common weight training exercises that are used in a well-balanced training program. Second, it provides the knowledge you need to design your own weight training program. We begin by describing how your body will respond to weight training and the importance of good nutrition. These discussions are followed by important information regarding how to prepare to start training and how to safely use various types of weight training equipment. Building on this foundation of information, we introduce basic lifting and spotting techniques and exercises and follow them with descriptions of techniques specific to the exercises recommended in this book. Great care has been taken to introduce new information and higher training intensities gradually. For instance, you will start out lifting lighter training loads (weight) while you are learning proper exercise technique. Later, after you have mastered the exercises, you will progress to heavier loads. Organizing and sequencing exercises and loads in this manner offers you the best opportunity to learn how to perform the exercises without fear of injury, and it provides an excellent opportunity to realize dramatic improvements in muscular endurance, strength, body composition, and your overall fitness level. Exercises designed to develop a specific muscle area are described in steps 4 to 9 and include additional exercises that can be added if you desire more challenging workouts. These additional exercises are noted with an asterisk(*) in the text and tables and a 
in the figure captions. If you have previous experience in weight training, the total-body exercises presented in step 10 will complement those described in steps 4 to 9. Completing all of the steps leading up to step 14 prepares you for the exciting challenge of designing your own weight training program.
You will find that the practice procedures and drills included in this text are unique and provide an effective approach to explaining and understanding the content and skills of weight training. The step-by-step explanations and self-assessment activities make this book the easiest guide to weight training.
In addition, this new edition includes an expanded discussion of the physiological effects of training, more exercises, a new section on core training, updated references, and exciting variations of the previous practice and learning activities by making them more streamlined and easier to use. Also, new exercises have been added, and they will challenge you to develop a higher level of skill, making this text appropriate for those new to weight training as well as those who are more experienced and better trained.
Each of the 14 steps you will take is an easy transition from the one that precedes it. The first 3 steps of the staircase provide a solid foundation of basic skills and concepts. As you progress, you will learn to complete a basic training program in a safe and time-efficient manner. You will also learn when and how to make needed changes in program intensity. As you near the top of the staircase, you will find that you have developed a sense of confidence in your weight training skills and knowledge of how to design programs that meet your specific needs. Perhaps most important, you will be pleased with your improved fitness and energy levels and how your body’s appearance has changed.
To understand how to build your training around steps 1 to 3, familiarize yourself with the concepts and information presented in the sections that lead up to step 1. They provide information that will help you become aware of how your body reacts and adapts to weight training, will teach you the importance of proper nutrition, and will provide the keys to making every minute that you invest in training pay off.
The Steps to Success method provides a systematic approach to executing and teaching weight training techniques and designing programs. Approach each of the steps in this way:
1. Read the explanation of what is covered in the step, why the step is important, and how to execute or perform the tasks described in each step; these may be a basic skill, a concept, an approach, or combination of all three.
2. Follow the technique photos that show and explain exactly how to position your body so that you will perform each exercise correctly. The photos show each phase of the exercise. For each exercise in the basic program, you typically will be instructed to select one exercise from three choices: one free-weight and two machine exercises. In step 9, you will select from body-weight and machine exercises and in step 10, from free-weight exercises only.
3. Look over the missteps section after each exercise description and use this information to make needed corrections for how you perform exercises before moving to the practice procedures and drills at the end of each step.
4. The practice procedures and drills help you improve your skills through repetition and purposeful practice. Read the directions and the success checks for each drill and quiz. Practice accordingly and record your scores. The drills progress from easy to difficult, so be sure to achieve a satisfactory level of performance before moving on to the next drill. This sequence is designed specifically to help you achieve continual success. At the end of each step, total your success check scores and determine your mastery of the material before moving on to the next one.
After you have selected an exercise for each body area and have mastered the necessary skills in steps 4 to 9, you are ready to start training in step 11. Advanced lifters should consider adding one or more exercises presented in step 10 before moving to step 11.
In step 11, the real fun begins. You don’t have to determine which exercises to include or the number of sets and repetitions to perform; those decisions have already been made. All you need to do is follow the program as it is described.
Steps 12 and 13 introduce you to the logic—the whys and hows—behind the program in step 11. These steps include formulas and guidelines to assist you in the difficult task of determining warm-up and initial training loads and making needed adjustments to them. The helpful instructions, as well as examples and self-assessment opportunities (answers included), will prepare you for the challenge of designing your own program.
Step 14 takes you through the process of designing a program based on all of the previous steps. It is especially valuable if you are helping students design their own programs or if you are a personal trainer who designs programs for clients.
Good luck on your step-by-step journey toward developing a strong, healthy, attractive body, a journey that will be confidence building, rich in successes, and fun!