Schuler Lou - Strong : nine workout programs for women to burn fat, boost metabolism, and build strength for life

Acknowledgments

A LTHOUGH THIS BOOK ISNT A SEQUEL to The New Rules of Lifting for Womenwe wrote it as a stand-alone training guide for women, including those whove never heard of us or seen our workit wouldnt exist if not for the many readers who enthusiastically embraced that earlier book. Your continued support is beyond anything my coauthors and I anticipated, and I can never thank you enough.

Next I want to thank my coauthor, Alwyn Cosgrove, whose nine ass-kicking workout programs are the heart of this book, along with Megan Newman and Gigi Campo at Avery. My first phone conversation with Megan was in October 2004, and the fact that were still working together eleven years later makes me the luckiest writer in my field. Photographer Michael Tedesco is another crucial member of our team. He and Matt Minor did an incredible amount of work in our two-day shoot, as did Jessi Kneeland, our strong, cheerful, and seemingly inexhaustible model. We wouldnt have had a place to shoot if not for the generosity of John Graham and his team at St. Lukes Sports and Human Performance Center in Allentown, including Brian Zarbatany, Jackie Bolig, Jeff Baker, Steve Hultgren, Jess Gaal, James Farley, and Lisa Cote. Thanks also to David Black and Sarah Smith at the David Black Agency; to Chris Turney and Geralyn Coopersmith at Nike; to Chris Poirier at Perform Better and Dave Barr at the NSCA; and to Gregg Stebben, whose promotion of the original New Rules of Lifting in 2006 gave us our first hint of the audience waiting for NROL for Women, which Gregg helped us launch so successfully two years later.

As always, Im indebted to the many experts who help me understand research and practices that are far removed from my editorial training. At the top of the list are Stu Phillips, Bret Contreras, Bryan Chung, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, Chad Waterbury, Mike T. Nelson, Greg Nuckols, Eric Cressey, Mike Roussell, Brad Schoenfeld, Alan Aragon, Susan Kleiner, and Nick Tumminello. Thanks also to Adam Campbell, Nick Bromberg, Sol Orwell, Dave Tropeano, Jon Goodman, Roland Denzel, and Kevin Larrabee; to Jeannine Trimboli, Dana Smith, Lisa Lilge, Brynda Ivan, and all the readers whove shared their stories with me over the years; to Cassandra Forsythe, our NROL for Women coauthor; and of course to my wife, Kimberly Heinrichs, and our three children.

L.S.

To the badass ladies of the NROL for Women Facebook groups: This one is for you.

Lou: I bet you never thought when you met me over lunch at a seminar twenty-odd years ago that wed end up publishing six books together. You have no idea how much I appreciate your belief in me. Lets do six more.

Craig Rasmussen: Thanks for your help with these programs, for overseeing the program design at Results Fitness, and for writing my own programs. You took what started as my programming to a different level. You are, without a doubt, one of the greatest fitness professionals Ive ever met, and the Results Fitness secret weapon.

Results Fitness: my team, my family, and my home. Thanks for being part of the journey.

Results Fitness University: the single greatest group of fitness professionals on the planet. Thank you for being part of our mission to change the way fitness is done.

To God, and in no small part Dr. Sven De Vos and the elite team of doctors and nurses at UCLA who saved my life and gave me these extra days here: Ill confess I dont know why I deserve these days, but Ill never take them for granted and will always treat them as a gift. We know for sure this book wouldnt exist if it werent for you.

To Derek Campbell, my tae kwon do instructor and original mentor: You are the greatest human being Ive ever met. You changed the direction of my life and remain my single biggest coaching influence. You took a kid with no future, taught him for free when his family had no money, and turned him into a champion. Just because you could. If I can ever be half the coach you are, Ill be ecstatic.

Team 164: Ill never forget where I came from. You have supported me from day one.

Terry: I hope Ive never changed. Despite the fact we have been apart for years, every time we get together I feel like I saw you ten minutes ago.

Darren: I have no idea why we never got deported. You are a friend who knows all my darkest secrets (and, shockingly enough, are still my friend).

Robert: Am I the only one who calls you that? Thanks for teaching me so much and being in my corner for over a decade. And for making sure I dont miss a single funny thing ever posted on the Internet.

Rach: Still. Always. Forever. Youre the best thing thats ever happened to this wee boy from Scotland. What a journey.

Mum: I wish you could see everything Ive done. I really hope you can.

A.C.