Latest reading: Strong Curves by Bret Contreras

I've always been intrigued by weight training as a form of exercise. Mostly my interest has stopped at that point. Holding up my own body weight in yoga is hard enough, and the weights area of the gym is incredibly intimidating, seemingly full of testosterone-high men leering at the reflection of their bulging pecs.

Emboldened by the various bits of weight training in my classes, and a general 'I don't give a sh*t' attitude that comes with my advancing age, I'm moving beyond this point and have bought a book.

I didn't know where to start, so picked the one with the best and most consistently positive review on Amazon.com; Strong Curves by Bret Contreras (and one of his clients, Kellie Davis). 

I've battled my way most of the way through, and it's bugging me more than a bit (rant alert).

Now, I'm fairly sure that what he's suggesting is great, and will result in a butt like Jessica Biel in July 2007 GQ (left), but MY GOODNESS, he does go on and on and on. I think it's an American thing, to have all this blurb, and all the examples like 'Barb was a big lady, but 2 months of glute thrusting on demand and she had a tight little butt that could crack walnuts' (ok so that's an exaggerated made up version). I also find the tone of the book a bit patronising; the itty bitty female always doesn't want to lift weights until someone in her office calls her hot ass, then she lifts like crazy. There is a tone of tired resignation that all the ladies ignore his advice to only work their bottom half for the preferred (hmm) figure of big butt, lean top half.

But overall he appears to be an idol to his many female followers/clients (maybe deservedly if his results are as good as he says) and the thing is I do want a butt like Jessica Biel, and for that I'd put up with the rest of the book.

For those of you who are interested in it, and want to skip the waffle, here's the skinny: chapter 5 is diet (pretty standard stuff), chapter 9 is warm up, and chapter 10 is the recommended butt programme (chapter 11-13 more advanced programme). Skim read the rest if, like me, you gurn as you read the waffly chapters of the book. Or check out his website, which has many articles that between them probably cover most of the content of the book: http://bretcontreras.com/