Ever read one of those other bodybuilding magazines and wonder why the exercise gear they review is so lame? We'll tell you why. In most cases, these aren't real product review columns! That's right, they're ads!

Here's how it works. A maker of exercise gadgets spends big bucks advertising its products in the magazine. As part of the deal, the magazine agrees to spotlight the gadget in its so-called "product review" column. It's a sham! Of course, the gadget gets a glowing review; after all, the magazine wouldn't want to lose its advertising revenue by telling the truth!

Well, here at T-Nation, we don't play that game. And since we don't accept outside advertising here at the website, we're free to tell it like it is without having to worry about da man telling us what to think about a product. Below, each product will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.

The Book of Muscle by Ian King and Lou Schuler

This is a damn pretty book. Really, this is one handsome tome. I guess most of us have gotten used to cheap looking self-published books from strength coaches, so when we see high-end publishing work like this we're a bit taken aback. The info in most coaches' books is usually pretty good, but the book itself looks like it was made at Kinko's. Not this one!

The Book of Muscle is produced by the Men's Health camp, so they spared no expense creating a high quality product. This hardcover book is 364 pages and contains 156 original color photos and 16 full-color drawings. It looks like a quality coffee-table book really; even has a dust jacket.

But can we judge a book by its cover? In this case, yes, the info inside is top notch as well. The book starts off with basic muscle physiology: how muscles work, how they grow, muscle fiber type, etc. It also includes brief overviews of hormones, macronutrients, the nervous system, tendons and ligaments, and touches on several other topics.

Diet is probably the smallest section of the book, about twelve pages. The nutrition info is okay, but nothing groundbreaking. There is very little info on supplements.

After the basics are reviewed, the book gets into anatomy and the exercises to target each muscle group. Each exercise is described in detail with lots of pics. Most of these are basic, but you'll find a few Kingisms in there like ski squats, single-leg deadlifts, and "thin tummies."

The third section of the book deals with flexibility, warm-ups, tempo, training age and other "prep work" subjects. Finally, the book ends with three full workout programs: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Okay, so is it worth buying? Yes, it is. However, if you've read every Ian King article in T-Nation's previous issues section and know the basics of how muscles get stronger and grow, then there may not be all that much new here for you. Still, this is a great reference book, an encyclopedia of all things muscle.

Schuler did a good job taking a lot of complicated subjects and making them easy to understand. Suffice it to say, if you read this book from cover to cover you'll have a solid knowledge base for years of productive work in the gym. The Book of Muscle is worthy of a spot in your library.

Oh, and a quick word about the pictures. Men's Health gets a lot of criticism from the "hardcore" crowd because their models tend to be more cut than muscular. This book contains a mix of physiques. Some of the guys demonstrating the exercises look like they need to spend their modeling money on steak and sweat potatoes, but others look positively huge and are pretty darn inspiring, even for the T-Nation audience.

Overall, I give The Book of Muscle two thumbs up, especially for those new to real weight training. For the rest of us, it's a nice reference book and worth the $35. If you buy it at Amazon.com, you can pick it up for 24 bucks, the cheapest we've found. Good buy, good book. Go get it.

Rating: 9 – CS

Heavy Grips Hand Grippers

Hand grippers have been around forever, but most department store models won't do a thing for serious weight trainers. They're just too weak, most taking only about 40 pounds of pressure to close. Great if you're ten years old, not so great if you want to develop real crushing power and big forearms. Finally, companies like IronMind came along and produced grippers for grown-ups — models made of metal that take a minimum of 100 pounds of pressure to close.

Now along comes Heavy Grips, a new challenger in the grown-up gripper arena. These grippers have cast aluminum handles and take 100 to 300 pounds of pressure to close depending on the model. What makes them different than the IronMind grippers? A few things: the knurling isn't as sharp, the strength of the gripper is stamped on the inside of the handle, and they cost a little less. Heavy Grips also have a lifetime warrantee.

I tested all five models and liked them a lot. I crapped out on the 250-pound model, just couldn't quite close it. The 300-pound model? No way, not even with two hands! (Only two men in the world have closed a 365-pound model.)

So which one should you buy? I suggest starting with the 100 or 150 model. Unless you're a professional strongman, you'll probably never need the two heaviest models, though they are fun to have around. (Watching TC turn red, pass out, and flop over backwards in his chair trying to close the 300-pounder was a real treat!)

Each gripper runs $17.95, but you can get two for 30 bucks. You can also pick up all five grippers (100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 pound models) for $65, a pretty good deal. For more info, head to www.heavygrips.com.

Rating: 9 – CS

Power Ring Training System

Admit it, you watch men's gymnastics every four years when the Olympics roll around. You marvel at their strength and power. You long to have biceps like theirs. You stare at their tights and think, "If I was gay, I'd tap that ass like a keg of Coors Light…"

Oh, sorry. Went too far there, didn't I?

Anyway, if you've ever had a chance to train on rings, you know what a great upper body and abdominal workout it can be. But how can you train with rings at home? You get yourself a pair of Power Rings! These are 1.25" thick steel rings that come with a webbing and buckle system that allows you to set them up just about anywhere. You can throw them over a pull-up bar, a climbing apparatus at the park, or in your garage if you have a pair of I-bolts.

Besides being portable, the unique thing about Power Rings is that they can be adjusted up or down in seconds. This makes them very versatile. You can lower them almost to the ground and do a variety of push-ups and even fly-type movements. Raise them up halfway and use them for dips, or set them up high for chin-ups and ab work.

My favorite exercise on the rings is chin-ups. Unlike chinning on a bar, rings allow you to change the hand position without letting go. For example, you can do as many wide-grip, pronated pull-ups as you can, then flip the hands around into a supinated position to knock out a few more reps. When you can't do any more there, twist the hands so the palms are facing each other and try for another rep or two. Can't do that with a bar or pull-up handles!

A quick warning: dips and push-ups are very difficult to perform with rings. It's like learning a whole new exercise. Guys who can knock out a dozen body weight dips on a dipping stand will have trouble getting even a couple on the rings.

My only complaint with Power Rings is that sometimes the extra webbing gets in the way when you set them up high. Sure, you can tie or tape the extra webbing up out of your way easily enough, but then you have to re-do it when you drop the rings down for push-ups and flyes. Not a big problem, just a minor annoyance.

Power Rings and all the set-up gear will cost you about $80. They come with all the webbing and hardware you need (tested for 4000 pounds!), plus some Gamma Pro Wrap to improve the grip. These things are pretty fun and deserve a spot in your toolbox, especially if you're a garage or basement trainer. For more info or to pick up a pair, log on to www.ringtraining.com.

Rating: 8 – CS

Mastering the Football Combine Tests

Joe DeFranco has been featured on HBO’s Inside the NFL and has trained football players from 22 different NFL teams. He’s known nationally as a Combine expert. In other words, he helps athletes prepare for the Combine or the Pro Day tests.

Oddly enough, DeFranco thinks most of these tests are bunk. He believes a football player should only be judged on how he performs on the field, not these sterile tests. But since he can't change the system, Joe decided to beat it by releasing this video.

Mastering the Football Combine Tests is marketed as "The video that scouts don't want you to see!" That's accurate. DeFranco pulls out every trick in the book to help an athlete perform optimally on these tests. Every worthwhile time saving or rep increasing technique is demonstrated and drilled into your head.

This crash course video covers the following tests:

• 40-yard dash

• Vertical jump

• 20-yard shuttle

• 3-cone drill

• Bench press test

• Broad jump

You're taught to decrease time in the runs, add reps to the bench press, and "steal inches" in the jumps. This isn't cheating, just taking advantage of every opportunity to perform better. DeFranco shows you a stretch to help you instantly increase your jumping ability and even offers advice on proper shoe selection to help you gain an inch on the broad jump. Much like Dave Tate, DeFranco also shows you several "dirty tricks" to shorten the distance the bar has toe travel in the bench press tests. (He can knock eight inches off the distance, which will obviously translate into more reps.)

DeFranco's techniques have brought seventh round draft picks up to the third round, and third round pics up to first. Thirty-one of Joe’s athletes have been drafted to the NFL. This big fella knows his shit, don't you doubt it.

Here DeFranco spots Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, Eric Downing.

I talked with DeFranco after viewing the video and he told me that scouts are really pissed about this tape. Likewise, mainstream performance magazines and catalogs won't distribute it because he wouldn't endorse any of what he calls "the bullshit speed-training equipment" they sell. This underground video is hardcore. DeFranco is an excellent speaker and teacher, and the sound and video quality of this tape are good.

Mastering the Football Combine Tests runs $39.95 plus $7.50 for shipping. You can pick it up at www.defrancostraining.com. If you're serious about college or pro football, or you're just a performance junkie and want to see how the big boys do it, you should definitely pick up this tape. It kicketh butt.

And for more info on DeFranco, see T-Nation's interview with him here.

Rating: 9 – CS

The Bruiser Class Clubbell

My UPS delivery guy has lost ten pounds of fat and gained five pounds of muscle. How'd he do it? Lugging all these "Stuff We Like" toys to my door! However, the other day he knocked on my office door and asked me to come get my own damn box. He just couldn't hump it out of the big brown van. I knew I was in for some fun.

The delivery turned out to be a 45-pound "Bruiser Class" Clubbell. I first reviewed Clubbells back in issue #284. A Clubbell looks sorta like a chunky black baseball bat. Weighted clubs were actually one of the first resistance training tools ever devised, predating even the dumbbell. They were even once part of the Olympic Games as a strength endurance sport. Training clubs have recently seen a rebirth in popularity thanks largely to Coach Scott Sonnon and his system of Circular Strength.

In my first review, I tested two fifteen-pound Clubbells. Like everyone else, I grossly underestimated the difficulty of training with these mean lookin' war clubs, largely because of the displaced center of gravity. The nervous system experiences an intensity that equates to roughly four times the weight of the Clubbell, and the faster you move it through the air, the more work you have to perform. After testing the twin fifteen pound Clubbells and finding them a real challenge, I wondered what on earth someone would want with a 45-pound model, the largest made by Torque Athletic. I was about to find out.

The Bruisers are huge compared to most Clubbells.

First, imagine sticking the fat end of a baseball bat into the center of a big 45-pound weight plate. Lift it out in front of you or over your head using only the handle of the bat. Now you have an idea of why a 45-pound Clubbell is a true beast. I've allowed several people to play with my 15 pound Clubbells and all of them had the same reaction when they first hefted the Bruiser: "No freakin' way!"

The Bruiser is designed mainly to use with two-handed exercises, not that it helps much. I tested this bad boy out with a variety of swings, cleans, presses, and casts. One word: brutal. I really like the level of "internal bracing" you have to use to manipulate this thing. Without even thinking about it, you'll find yourself contracting the abs, lats, and pecs just to get the Bruiser into motion. I was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf after just a couple of minutes. And the grip strength you have to exert is tremendous. You'll be crushing apples into applesauce after a few months of this type of training.

Overall, the Bruiser Class Clubbell is a fun, challenging tool, good for functional hypertrophy and combat sports preparation. It runs $150 plus shipping. (You may want to start out with a lighter model, though.) My only criticism is the "crinkle coated" handle material. I wish they'd use something like Pac-Skin. I may buy some myself for the Bruiser. The standard crinkle coated stuff is fine for the lighter models, however.

Now, you'll need some informational material to go along with the Bruiser and Coach Doug Szolek has written a manual just for it: Anabolic Bruiser Conditioning.

This 80-page manual contains 55 exercises, has plenty of black and white pics and runs about $23. It's cheaply made but the info is good. You can order clubbells and clubbell books from Clubbell.TV.

Ratings:

Bruiser Class Clubbell: 8

Anabolic Bruiser Conditioning book: 5 – CS

Hydryx Hardcore Workout Towel

I know what you're thinking. A hardcore towel? How do you make a piece of cloth hardcore? Well, I agree. The marketing language here is kinda silly, but this is a really cool towel!

Basically, the Hydryx is a chamois made for your body. You wet it, wring it out, then pack it to the gym in its own little carrying tube. The unique material absorbs much more than a towel, holding around five times its weight in water or sweat. But the cool thing about this towel is that it's, well, cool. Soaked in water and wrung out, it's practically cold, which is quite refreshing, at least for guys like me who train in ghetto weightrooms with no AC!

Also, coaches like Ian King think it's very important to cool down as quickly as possible after a workout. They recommend a cool or even a cold shower to aid in recovery. For those of us that have to drive home before we can shower, this cold towel can do the trick. Feels great too.

Note: Linda does not come with the towel. She must be purchased separately.

The 26 x 17 inch Hydryx and its carrying tube run about $18. You can pick one up at www.accufitness.com. You can buy any color you want as long as its baby blue. Pretty cool little product! (Get it? Cool? Ya know, like a double entendre, cool as in…. oh screw it.)

Rating: 8 – CS

The DipMaster

Hopefully, all of you out there in T-Nation are performing pull-ups and dips as part of your workouts. I'll assume you are so I won't nag you about the benefits of these killer exercises. But are you adding weight? Again, I hope so.

There are various belts on the market meant to aid you in strapping on plates, but some are unwieldy, some don't hold enough weight, and most end up being a hassle. Most of us already have a weight belt handy (tell me you're not wearing it while curling in the squat rack, though), and that's where the DipMaster comes in.

This lightweight, triangular steel device hangs on your weight belt buckle, reaching down only a foot or so, sporting a nice semi-erect plate-holder able to hold plates of any weight or diameter. It feels comfortable, especially when hung on a heavy-duty powerlifting type of belt. The rod is long enough to hold four 45-pound plates, though Fitsmith, the manufacturer, rates the DipMaster only to 150 pounds.

I've put this thing through a good number of both pull-up and dip workouts. Sure, it's tough to walk too far with big plates hanging in front of your crotch, but if you wanna get strong, you gotta do the work! My experience is that loading more than two 45-pound plates will pull the buckle of your belt apart, so be cautious. If you attach it to a chain belt around your waist, you can load this puppy up heavy.

Bottom line, the DipMaster hasn't bent, fallen off my belt, or caused plates to fall onto my toes. Nice gadget. It runs about $30 and can be found at www.fitsmithllc.com.

Grade: 7 – JK

Bomber Top Squat

If you've been lifting long enough or working hard enough in the gym, you've probably experienced shoulder or rotator cuff problems while squatting. The longer you train, the more likely this is going to occur. What you don't want to have happen is an inability to squat, as we all agree (don't we?) that the barbell squat is the finest single exercise to perform with weight. But what are lifters to do, especially those of us no longer in our twenties?

Call Dave Draper. The ageless Blond Bomber has come up with the Top Squat, a heavy steel device he was forced to develop several years ago as old injuries to his shoulder girdle prevented him from squatting. He knew he should continue to perform this magical movement and was determined to figure out a way to do it.

The Top Squat fits over a standard Olympic bar, with arms jutting out forward of the lifter at an angle, allowing one to hold on to the bar while keeping their shoulders comfortable.

Installation on the bar is straightforward. I had to use a ten-pound plate to bang it securely into place, but it was no big deal. Two Velcro safety straps are a nice failsafe but over the course of a good deal of use, my Top Squat never moved a bit. Just make certain you center the device on the bar.

Under a load, there's only a slight difference in feel for the lifter compared to a regular back squat. After a couple of sets you won’t feel any different than before, other than no pain in your shoulders. While lifting, rotate the handles up a slight bit and the bar moves down your back, in a powerlifting style, if you so desire.

Dave Draper is to be commended, as his Top Squat is a great tool, enabling serious weight trainers to stay on top of their game and in the squat cage. I'm giving it a perfect score, as it's an important training aid with no gimmick aspect to it whatsoever, and it performs ideally. The Top Squat runs $99 for the unpadded version (what I use) and $119 for a slightly padded version. For more info, visit www.davedraper.com.

Grade: 10 – JK

Louie Simmons Presents Training Secrets of Westside Barbell: Special Strengths

I'll keep this simple. You should be well aware of Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell if you've been reading T-Nation for any length of time. If not, check our back issues for every article his partner Dave Tate has written. Print them, read them, study them, memorize them, and use the principles in the gym.

This videotape is the latest in a long line of specialized presentations. Rather than concentrate on something like the bench press or the deadlift, this tape summarizes many of Simmons's ideas on a wide variety of weight training and powerlifting movements and exercises.

I can't overemphasize how fascinating and at the same time important this videotape is. If you've seen and absorbed earlier presentations from Westside Barbell, you'll still learn a great deal. If some of this is new to you, pay close attention, use what you learn as a stepping stone to further knowledge, and put it all into play in the gym and on the platform.

If I told you that in an hour and a half Simmons covers all of this, would it help you in your buying decision? He gets into lactic acid, speed strength, concentric strength, box squats, intensive loading, circa-max, contrast training, virtual force, explosive strength, eccentric strength, restoration, GPP and maximal strength. Just buy the videotape if you're into powerlifting, okay? It runs about $56 and can be found at www.elitefitnesssystems.com.

Grade: 8 – JK

Note: Got a gadget you'd like to see reviewed? Just drop an e-mail here and let us know about it!