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Starting Strength - because this time I actually started lifting instead of just reading it :) The Pragmatic Programmer - It has been recommended to me by a go

Starting Strength - because this time I actually started lifting instead of just reading it :) The Pragmatic Programmer - It has been recommended to me by a good developer that is self-taught like me. So far so good. Some things are a bit dated though.

bdaw11 12y ago
> Starting Strength - because this time I actually started lifting instead of just reading it :) For me it's High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way. Frankly I don't care about strength, and am focusing instead on bodybuilding. I used to spend a lot of hours in the gym not really knowing what I'm doing (no plan, no goals). After this book I now have a good plan and clear, predictable goals.
- hackerboos 12y ago
  Starting strength is better for natural strength training. Mike Mentzer is well known to have abused steroids to get his physique which is something I wouldn't be willing to do.
  - bdaw11 12y ago
    Which 1970s bodybuilder isn't? Besides, he perfected his programme on his clients, not himself. Anyway, it works perfectly well for me, I couldn't be more satisfied with my progress and thus have no reason to change my plan. I'm glad SS works for you.
randlet 12y ago
Starting Strength stands out for me too. Starting a strength training routine has been a wonderful experience that I would highly encourage to everyone.
hackerboos 12y ago
All the good things in Prag Prog have become commonplace in today's development world. * Tests - check * Version control - check * Code generation - check * Decoupling, refactoring, metaprogramming, power editing. It's still worth reading but it needs a second edition...
suhailpatel 12y ago
Also read Starting Strength. I'd been lifting before I read it but my technique was very poor. The most I got out of the book was cues (such as actively push legs out when squatting to avoid cave in). Would definitely recommend!
- ElComradio 12y ago
  Getting a trainer is going to be better than trying to DIY from a book, at least to 'show you the ropes'. It's not like following a recipe or something where it's obvious if you have the right amount of ingredients; you might think you are doing it right when you are doing it wrong and have no way to tell.
  - jknightco 12y ago
    I agree, as long as you find a good trainer. Most personal trainers are teaching extremely poor form.
  - _nullandnull_ 12y ago
    I disagree about the trainer unless the user is a novice or is okay spending a lot of money on a trainer. In my experience all personal trainers are not created equal. The chapter on doing squats in Starting Strength is 80 pages long. Odds are it would cost you a couple of hundred dollars and many session to get that much information from a good trainer. Reading the book, watching the DVD and working with light weights to focus on correct form would be a better approach that hiring a trainer. After those steps are done it would be useful to hire a trainer to check your form and give you tips.
  - conradfr 12y ago
    The problem is getting a good trainer. Sure if you can get Rippetoe .. :) The one at my gym is not great. I think I would prefer a gym buddy who has read the book, watched the dvd or is a good lifter, because filming myself to check my form gets old quickly.
Jonovono 12y ago
You are your own gym, for me.
michaelvkpdx 12y ago
Pragmatic Programmer is pretty good, but even better are Steve McConnell's books from the late 90's, "Rapid Development" and "Code Complete". They're both big and both published by Microsoft. Two strikes, yes, but don't be fooled. These books have so many nuggets that I've gone back to again and again as a programmer. "Code Complete", in particular. Neither book is a cover-to-cover read. They're both books you dip into for a tip, a skill, some perspective. But they've held up amazingly well, and for my money and time, they're both a step up from the Pragmatic Programmer. If you like what you found in "Pragmatic", you'll love "Code Complete". I just wish it wasn't from MS, at the peak of MS evil in the 90's.
- conradfr 12y ago
  I think I started Code Complete some time ago, I need to get back to it.
gfodor 12y ago
Yup, me too on SS. Started in Jan, changed my life.

bdaw11 12y ago

> Starting Strength - because this time I actually started lifting instead of just reading it :) For me it's High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way. Frankly I don't care about strength, and am focusing instead on bodybuilding. I used to spend a lot of hours in the gym not really knowing what I'm doing (no plan, no goals). After this book I now have a good plan and clear, predictable goals.

hackerboos 12y ago
Starting strength is better for natural strength training. Mike Mentzer is well known to have abused steroids to get his physique which is something I wouldn't be willing to do.
- bdaw11 12y ago
  Which 1970s bodybuilder isn't? Besides, he perfected his programme on his clients, not himself. Anyway, it works perfectly well for me, I couldn't be more satisfied with my progress and thus have no reason to change my plan. I'm glad SS works for you.

randlet 12y ago

Starting Strength stands out for me too. Starting a strength training routine has been a wonderful experience that I would highly encourage to everyone.

hackerboos 12y ago

All the good things in Prag Prog have become commonplace in today's development world. * Tests - check * Version control - check * Code generation - check * Decoupling, refactoring, metaprogramming, power editing. It's still worth reading but it needs a second edition...

suhailpatel 12y ago

Also read Starting Strength. I'd been lifting before I read it but my technique was very poor. The most I got out of the book was cues (such as actively push legs out when squatting to avoid cave in). Would definitely recommend!

ElComradio 12y ago
Getting a trainer is going to be better than trying to DIY from a book, at least to 'show you the ropes'. It's not like following a recipe or something where it's obvious if you have the right amount of ingredients; you might think you are doing it right when you are doing it wrong and have no way to tell.
- jknightco 12y ago
  I agree, as long as you find a good trainer. Most personal trainers are teaching extremely poor form.
- _nullandnull_ 12y ago
  I disagree about the trainer unless the user is a novice or is okay spending a lot of money on a trainer. In my experience all personal trainers are not created equal. The chapter on doing squats in Starting Strength is 80 pages long. Odds are it would cost you a couple of hundred dollars and many session to get that much information from a good trainer. Reading the book, watching the DVD and working with light weights to focus on correct form would be a better approach that hiring a trainer. After those steps are done it would be useful to hire a trainer to check your form and give you tips.
- conradfr 12y ago
  The problem is getting a good trainer. Sure if you can get Rippetoe .. :) The one at my gym is not great. I think I would prefer a gym buddy who has read the book, watched the dvd or is a good lifter, because filming myself to check my form gets old quickly.

Jonovono 12y ago

You are your own gym, for me.

michaelvkpdx 12y ago

Pragmatic Programmer is pretty good, but even better are Steve McConnell's books from the late 90's, "Rapid Development" and "Code Complete". They're both big and both published by Microsoft. Two strikes, yes, but don't be fooled. These books have so many nuggets that I've gone back to again and again as a programmer. "Code Complete", in particular. Neither book is a cover-to-cover read. They're both books you dip into for a tip, a skill, some perspective. But they've held up amazingly well, and for my money and time, they're both a step up from the Pragmatic Programmer. If you like what you found in "Pragmatic", you'll love "Code Complete". I just wish it wasn't from MS, at the peak of MS evil in the 90's.

conradfr 12y ago
I think I started Code Complete some time ago, I need to get back to it.

gfodor 12y ago

Yup, me too on SS. Started in Jan, changed my life.