The Purposeful Primitive: From Fat and Flaccid to Lean and Powerful

In the fitness world, you don't find too many people like Marty Gallagher. A world-class powerlifter in his own right, Marty has coached or handled luminaries like Ed Coan and Kirk Karwoski. He's seen more in the world of powerlifting, bodybuilding, and other strength sports than most people ever will. He's also a consummate raconteur. When Marty talks, I listen.This is not (primarily) a how-to book. If you want to learn how to do the lifts, a copy of Starting Strength should be your next purchase. Read it cover to cover at least twice, do the lifts, and THEN buy this book. If you've kindled to the idea of lifting heavy iron, this book will speak to you.Purposeful Primitive is a collection of training concepts, anecdotes from the strength training world, brief biographies of some of the strongest people on the planet, and a smattering of other topics that orbit the world of strength and fitness. It is to the strength world what Tao of Jeet Kune Do is to the martial arts world-- part treatise, part philosophical text, nothing extraneous.You don't need to be an elite powerlifter to enjoy this book. In fact, you don't need to have touched a weight in your life. The anecdotes about some of the lifters is enough to keep you entertained, especially if you enjoy reading about larger-than-life personalities and their larger-than-life accomplishments. But if you train, even casually, you'll appreciate having this book in your library. I personally would not be without it.