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7 min read
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4.5 · 365 Amazon ratings
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The New Rules of Lifting
The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler & Alwyn Cosgrove Review: A Science-Backed Strength Training Reset
by Lou Schuler, Alwyn Cosgrove
The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove is a comprehensive fitness book that challenges conventional gym wisdom, anchoring its program in six fundamental movement patterns and the latest exercise science research to help readers build muscle and strength more efficiently.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Anyone new to structured strength training — or an intermediate lifter ready to move beyond muscle-isolation splits — who wants a research-backed, movement-pattern programme delivered in an unusually readable, humour-laced voice.
Worth it if
You want a coherent, evidence-grounded alternative to traditional bodybuilding splits, with multiple programming phases (Break-In, Fat-Loss, Hypertrophy) that fit realistic time constraints and apply equally to men and women.
Skip if
Highly experienced lifters already fluent in compound-movement programming and periodization, or readers whose primary goal is cardiovascular or endurance performance, will find the framework either familiar or insufficiently focused on their needs.
What readers & critics say
Reviewers at strength-basics.blogspot.com and news.runtowin.com both single out the book's central premise — that training natural movement patterns outperforms muscle-isolation splits — as a genuinely useful reframe, with strength-basics.blogspot.com calling it "one of those good ones" among workout books. Raisedbyturtles.org goes further, crediting Schuler as "one of the straightest shooters in the business" and praising the NROL series as fitness books "you can sit down and read just for the fun of it."
Sources: strength-basics.blogspot.com, raisedbyturtles.org, news.runtowin.com4.5from 365 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
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The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove dismantles traditional bodybuilding-style splits in favor of a program built around six fundamental movement patterns — push, pull, squat, deadlift, lunge, and core — grounded in exercise science rather than training fads. It's an ideal entry point for beginners and intermediate lifters who want a coherent, evidence-backed alternative to the "chest day / arms day" approach, delivered in Schuler's characteristically humorous and plainspoken voice. The key caveat: highly experienced lifters already fluent in compound programming and periodization, and readers whose primary goal is cardiovascular or endurance performance, will find less new ground here.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers who want a structured, research-backed strength program presented in a genuinely readable way, The New Rules of Lifting delivers on both counts. Lou Schuler's voice is widely noted for being humorous and accessible — readers on raisedbyturtles.org describe the NROL books as fitness titles 'you can sit down and read just for the fun of it' — and the program itself is grounded in exercise science rather than training fads. The main caveat is scope: advanced lifters already fluent in compound programming will find familiar ground, and dedicated endurance athletes will find the book addresses their goals only peripherally.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to The New Rules of Lifting often gravitate toward a few companion titles. Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training covers similar compound-movement philosophy — particularly the squat and deadlift — with an even more technical, coaching-focused lens. The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess by Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove applies the same movement-pattern framework specifically to women's goals and concerns. Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza's Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance pairs well for readers who want to complement their strength work with deep mobility and injury-prevention guidance. Peter Attia's Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity provides a broader evidence-based framework for strength training and healthspan that shares the NROL emphasis on resistance training over conventional cardio-first thinking. Carol S. Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is a natural complement for readers who want to reinforce the behavioral and motivational side of a long-term training commitment.
- Who should read this?
- The New Rules of Lifting is best suited to beginners and intermediate lifters — men and women — who want a structured, evidence-backed alternative to traditional muscle-isolation splits and are ready to commit to a multi-phase program. It is also a strong pick for gym-goers who have been following ad hoc routines from fitness magazines and want a coherent, research-grounded framework to replace them. Readers whose primary goal is cardiovascular or endurance performance will find the book less directly applicable to their needs, and advanced lifters already fluent in compound programming and periodization theory may find the foundational framework covers familiar territory.
- What are the six basic moves?
- The six fundamental movement patterns at the heart of the program are push, pull, squat, deadlift, lunge, and core-based work. Schuler and Cosgrove argue these reflect the movements the human body is naturally designed to perform, and the entire training system — including compound staples like barbell and dumbbell deadlifts, bench press, chin-ups, lat pulldowns, and lunges — is organized around them rather than around individual muscle groups. Core training is defined broadly as the muscles of the entire trunk, not just the abdominals.
- Is this part of a series?
- Yes — The New Rules of Lifting is the first book in what became a broader NROL series from Schuler and Cosgrove. The most prominent follow-up, The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess, co-authored with Cassandra Forsythe, applies the same movement-pattern framework with programming and nutrition guidance tailored specifically to women. The series expands the core philosophy into different goals and populations rather than simply repeating the original program.
- Does it address fitness myths?
- Debunking conventional gym wisdom is central to the book's identity — its title alone signals a willingness to challenge received fitness orthodoxy. Most prominently, Schuler and Cosgrove directly address the widespread misconception that weightlifting produces a bulky physique, making the case that resistance training instead contributes to a lean, strong body for both men and women. More broadly, the book's entire thesis — that training movement patterns outperforms traditional muscle-isolation splits — is framed as a challenge to the bodybuilding conventions that still dominate most commercial gym culture.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What are the six basic moves?
Is this part of a series?
Does it address fitness myths?
Summarize this book
The New Rules of Lifting organizes a complete strength-training system around six fundamental movement patterns — push, pull, squat, deadlift, lunge, and core-based work — rather than the isolation exercises that dominate traditional bodybuilding splits. Co-authored by Lou Schuler, a National Magazine Award–winning journalist and certified strength and conditioning specialist, and Alwyn Cosgrove, a strength-training expert, the book walks readers through multiple programming phases including Break-In, Fat-Loss, and Hypertrophy tracks. It also covers nutrition fundamentals such as protein intake, caloric targets, and metabolism, and directly debunks the myth that weightlifting produces a bulky physique — making its case for resistance training as the path to a lean, strong body for both men and women.
Follow up
What are the different workout phases?
How much does it cover nutrition?
How does it approach core training?
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Our Review
We review the evidence: published critics, reader verdicts and BookTube reviews, gathered and weighed with AI assistance and edited by LuvemBooks, rather than one reader's first-hand take.
A fitness book that earns its provocative title, The New Rules of Lifting makes a genuine case for rethinking how most people approach the weight room.
What the Book Actually Is
Co-authored by Lou Schuler — a National Magazine Award–winning journalist, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and editorial director for T-Nation.com — and Alwyn Cosgrove, a strength-training expert, The New Rules of Lifting is a structured fitness program built around six fundamental movement patterns: push, pull, squat, deadlift, lunge, and core-based work. Rather than prescribing long lists of isolation exercises, Schuler and Cosgrove organize the entire training system around movements the body is naturally designed to perform.
The book covers exercise programming across multiple workout phases — including Break-In, Fat-Loss, and Hypertrophy tracks — and addresses nutrition fundamentals such as protein intake, caloric targets, and the role of metabolism in muscle building.
The Central Argument: Movement Over Muscle Isolation
The book's organizing thesis is a direct challenge to traditional bodybuilding-style splits, which carve the body into separate "chest day" or "arms day" sessions. Schuler and Cosgrove argue, drawing on exercise science research, that training movement patterns produces superior results for most lifters compared to chasing individual muscles in isolation.
The program covers compound staples — barbell and dumbbell variations of the deadlift, bench press, chin-up, lat pulldown, and lunge among them — while also dedicating serious attention to core training, defined broadly as the muscles of the trunk rather than just the abdominals. The book also directly addresses the widespread misconception that weightlifting produces a bulky physique, making the case that resistance training contributes to a lean, strong body for both men and women.
Strengths: Accessible Science and an Unusually Readable Voice
One of the book's most consistently noted qualities across reader responses is Schuler's writing style. Readers on raisedbyturtles.org describe his voice as humorous, insightful, and rooted in long experience, noting that the NROL books are fitness titles "you can sit down and read just for the fun of it."
The same source credits Schuler and Cosgrove with poring over current research rather than chasing training fads, calling Schuler "one of the straightest shooters in the business." This combination — rigorous sourcing delivered through an engaging, plainspoken voice — gives the book a different texture from drier technical manuals.
The program is also designed with realistic time demands in mind; Schuler and Cosgrove do not assume readers have unlimited hours to spend in the gym, and the workout structures reflect that constraint.
Scope and Audience Fit
The book is designed to serve a broad audience rather than competitive powerlifters or advanced athletes already steeped in periodization theory. Readers new to structured strength training will find a logical entry point through the Break-In programming, while intermediate lifters can engage with the Hypertrophy and Fat-Loss phases.
Reader accounts indicate the program is applicable to women as well as men — one response published on raisedbyturtles.org notes that a reader emailed Schuler directly about modifying the program as a woman and received a reply within an hour, a detail that speaks to the accessibility the authors aimed for. That said, highly experienced lifters seeking advanced programming complexity may find the movement-pattern framework covers ground they have already internalized.
Limitations Worth Noting
The book's focus is squarely on resistance training, with aerobic and endurance work treated largely through the lens of fat loss and muscle retention rather than as an independent fitness goal. The raisedbyturtles.org review flags this as a recurring limitation of fitness books in this space: Schuler and Cosgrove's position — that high volumes of endurance work can cost muscle mass — is grounded in research, but readers whose primary goal is cardiovascular performance or endurance sport will find the programming less directly applicable to their needs.
The book's approach is a feature for its target audience but a genuine boundary condition for readers coming from an endurance-first background.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- Further reading
- 2
- 3
- 4
thriftbooks.com
- 5
- 6
- 7
strength-basics.blogspot.com
- 8
news.runtowin.com
Age & Reading Level
Our age band
Adult
Our age band groups books for browsing; it isn't an age a review gave.
who it suits
Skip if your primary fitness goal is cardiovascular endurance or endurance sport rather than building strength and muscle.
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