The Greyskull LP

by John Sheaffer

The long-awaited Second Edition to the book that started a revolution.

Quite simply the most flexible, and user friendly system for anyone interested in building strength and muscle. This book explains in detail the principles of Johnny Pain's famed Greyskull LP method used in the construction of hundreds of beasts around the globe.

Cut through the dogmatic B.S. that pollutes the internet, and produce the outcomes that you desire from your training efforts.

A must have for anyone serious about getting strong.

Genres: Fitness, Nonfiction, Health, Bodies, Sports

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2012

Reviews

[Ted Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical upgrade to Starting Strength

Based on Starting Strength, but adds more upper body work. Also more flexible and provides more insight into differences between powerlifting, bodybuilding, and general weight training. I’d recommend buying Starting Strength to gain knowledge, but stray by jumping in with Greyskull.

[Brendan]

This is technically a book.

[Graeme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note - My Review is based upon the 3rd edition of this book.

So there's the book itself, and the program taught by the book. My review is mixed because the program is very solid and he describes it pretty well. The writing style however is quite unprofessional and could use a lot of editing. Spelling and grammar mistakes happen a lot. His style is like a bro yelling at you trying to get you pumped up to lift.

However, I am really excited to apply these principles as I strength train and expect to see really solid progress through this technique.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Als großer Fan des Phrack Greyskull LP war das Buch eine Pflichtlektüre. Das Buch beinhaltet einige Hintergründe zum ursprünglichen Programm (leider ohne wissenschaftliche oder anderweitige Belege) sowie zahlreiche Varianten.

[John Dobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great program! I got so much out of it that I re-read a good portion. I have implemented my own Greyskull LP program, including Frequency Method push-ups and chins. I have extreme gratitude for this easy to understand, simple to use resource.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The literature designed to accompany GSLP, an excellent novice lifting program. I can highly recommend the routine, but the book is optional.

There’s some useful cues in the last chapter which I found particularly valuable, but also a fair bit of content which wasn’t relevant to me.

[Anchit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! The program is pretty simple. No contradictions. His method allows you to enjoy your workout even when deloading.

[Lucas Netto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although short, it's an easy to read book with it's principles well explained. Recommended for those trying to improve their trainings.

[BizCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great lifting program, simple and effective.

[Hrishikesh Parab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best program for Linear progression.Very well written!!

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is useful, and practical, but the editing is just abysmal.

[Otso Rasimus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the program and think the book does a good job of presenting it. While the language is not exactly the best of prose, it's easy to read and understand.

[Nathanael Lorincz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it. some typos tho. great powerbuilding book with funny writing and no nonsense

[Daniel Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

Good breakdown of the base program specifics, a bit more vague on plug-ins than I was hoping. Thought there were gonna be more templates for different goals, etc. All the information is available online but wanted to show the creator some love.

[Ari Consul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some mildly useful content and a few good ideas but reads mostly like a self-congratulatory promotion for the author's coaching business. As others state, Mark Rippetoe's collection is still the standard and others would do well with the StrongLifts 5x5.

[Viktor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why this is even a book. While the Greyskull LP programme certainly looks promising - mainly because of the rip-off from Mark Rippentoe's Starting Strength, the author does not seem qualified to write this book. Further, he makes sweeping generalizations, insults readers who are interested about reading about proper technique beyond just learning-by-doing. The author also conveys a lot of stereotypes and comes off as if he didn't bother to actually research what he is writing about.

What can be learned from this book can just as easily be picked up online on fitness forums. There are some hidden gems in there, particularly the base LP-programe, information about rests and tips about technique. But if you're interested in doing Greyskull LP I suggest you look up "Phraks greyskull variant" on Google images as that will give you everything you need. Don't buy this book!

[Matt Richbourg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most weight training programs, especially those for new lifters looking to gain strength, are specific sets of one-size-fits-all instructions of how many exercises, how many times per week. This book, on the other hand, lays out a template with multiple modules that can be plugged in based on the user's goals. It explains exactly how and why you would use each tweak, then looks at four different training goals and builds the template in 3-4 different ways for each of them. This isn't the kind of program you'll do for 6 weeks or 6 months and then move on to something else. Instead, it's a framework with which to build your own programs for years as your goals and current strength levels change. Additionally, it gets the results - in the last few weeks, I've lost two notches on my belt while my lifts get stronger each time I go to the gym. Highly recommended.

[Daniyal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Has good concepts about AMRAP sets, same thing that Jim Wendler explains in his 5/3/1 book, instead of weight PRs, do rep PRs, which is a much more achievable goal, yet equally tough.

Focuses more on building a balanced physique, unlike some other beginner programs where squat is the main focus of every training day.

[Diego Petrucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

GreySkull LP is probably the best beginner routine out there (it focuses on both strength and hypertrophy). This book does a good job of outlining it. I still recommend reading Ripetoe's Starting Strength to get the lifting technique right.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly well written, but the program Shearer offers solves a lot of the problems I've had with Starting Strength. This is worth checking out if you want more programming flexibility, think conditioning should factor in, and think squatting and deadlifting on the same day is dumb.

[Theigbobandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my earlier body building guidance. Wasn't as useful as Mehdi's 5x5 Stronglift though.

[MPS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Program seems solid. He needs an editor! Not worth the $30 though IMO. Just Google around and you can get almost everything in the book.