The Year One Challenge for Women: Thinner, Leaner, and Stronger Than Ever in 12 Months (The Thinner Leaner Stronger Series)

I'm a middle-aged woman experienced in strength training, and had done it for years prior to taking a break for a couple years. As expected, I lost all my definition and strength.This program has made it fun and easy for me to get back into strength training, and WOW, I was not expecting the results to come so quickly. I began the program in February and by July, I have visible definition on my arms (very difficult for me to do usually), abs, and legs. What I especially love about it is that while it's a hard program, it still keeps things very simple and I don't feel especially exhausted or burned out after a session. Even my teen daughter, who is very new to strength training, enjoys it! We do the 3-days-a-week plan, but there are options for 4 days a week and 5 days a week as well.Everything is very science-based, and the workout journal is so satisfying to write in and keep track of my progressive overloads (though I do recommend getting the actual book first to get to know the plan and the reasons for why you're doing what you're doing, plus nutrition/calorie deficit tips). Keeps me wanting to come back for more!

First, PLEASE ignore the reviews that are complaining about the lack of detail in this book. This is a companion training guide to THINNER, LEANER AND STRONGER. This book lays out a complete year long training plan and functions as a notebook to log your progress if you like. You should definitely look at THINNER, LEANER AND STRONGER before starting this training plan.I bought this book for my wife who was looking to change up her workout this year. I had recently read Mike Matthew's book for men and have really been enjoying and finding success with his suggested training program. I loved how simple and straightforward the workouts are. This is all stuff that you should be able to do in an hour at the gym, and there isn't any silly, confusing nonsense. Strength training is really not that complicated. As Matthews explains, so many people are just confused by all of the misguided, contradictory information we're bombarded with.My wife has been going to the gym fairly regularly for the past few years, but her time there hasn't been very organized or focused. Occasionally she would ask me to write out "something to do" at the gym, and she would do that routine for a while. Its good that she has been going, but at some point you need practical advice and a program like Mike Matthews offers here to really get the most out of your time. i.e. Do these things on this day, this number of times, this many weeks, etc;I was really impressed by this book. She won't be asking me to write out "something to do at the gym" anytime soon. The day's training plan is written out clearly, page by page here for the entire year. She is set! More importantly, I was happy to see that she read through THINNER LEANER STRONGER and seems to have picked up a better understanding of both WHAT she is doing and WHY she is doing certain things.Fair warning: I kind of laughed during the first week when she was complaining how tired she was at the end of the day. She couldn't understand it. I had the exact same reaction when I first started Mike's program last year. For a week or so, I was incredibly wiped out at the end of the day. It was very disconcerting because we're both pretty active people and no strangers to the gym. Don't let it slow you down or worry you. My body adjusted and caught up to the new training, and I haven't felt that level of exhaustion since.I can't recommend this book highly enough. Every day I see people at the gym paying $50/hour to have a personal trainer do goofy, not especially effective exercises. For about $20, you can get the two THINNER, LEANER books, save yourself hundreds of dollars through the year and get way more out of your time at the gym. Be patient, follow the advice here and good luck!

I struggled between 4 and 5 stars.I recently purchased this book to start my one year challenge. I've already been weightlifting for a few years. I wanted to really make some better progress. I'm a total fan of Mike's books. I have both his cook books, thinner leaner stronger (on audio) and his fitness myths book.I have really attempted to use the information he provided to change the way I eat even more then I had, and to hone in my fitness routine. After two weeks I am already seeing improvements.The workouts seem easy and pointless but the next day you feel the burn.Just don't forget you have to push yourself to make the progress and be willing to challenge bumping up the weights.My only beef with the book is that it's geared to people with a gym membership. I have a home gym I've been slowly building and refuse to go back to the meat market where you can't get your hands on the good stuff (because of all the Meatheads hogging it while taking selfies)Some of the exercises I simply don't have the equipment for and there is not substitutions or modifications. I've tried to look some up but really.. there is not much I can find to be the equivalent to the leg press. But even so 90% of the exercises I CAN do!My only other beef is there isn't much on Max Rep. You need to know what that is to know where to start with his guide. It took me a little while of research outside his book to really understand that. It's not difficult or anything but kinda the key to unlock the rest of it.Otherwise I highly recommend it for people struggling on what the heck to do for a workout.It's certainly helped me fix my plan, and honestly simplify it.