General Books

Strength Training Anatomy (Book & CD-ROM)

Frederic Delavier

Amazon Price: $31.45 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $28.82

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Basic Science -> Anatomy
Subjects -> Medicine -> Specialties -> Sports Medicine
Subjects -> Medicine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 259 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Essential reading for strength training. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have a huge collection of books, many on strength training and fitness, this is the one I refer to most frequently.
This book is only about muscle anatomy as relates to strength training. As such it really helps you to focus your energy to where you need it. and I add that I think the book is helpful in preventing many injuries.

An excellent resource! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is an excellent resource for people wanting to know how to customize their workouts to target specific muscles and muscle groups. The information is presented in detailed, accurate pictures with concise text. It's not difficult to read. Use it more as reference material than as a front-to-back read-through. My young son has even learned some anatomy by browsing through this book.

Strenght Training Anatomy/ Great Training Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent written book on the muscles and their purpose also when to work out what groups together to enrich your body. Highly recomended for the new and the advanced person either getting ripped or just toning and staying in shape.

Editorial Review:

Coombines the most effective exercises for all the major muscle groups with detailed, full colour illustrations of the muscles used during the exercises.

The Triathlete's Training Bible

Joe Friel

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Not yet published By: VeloPress

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Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Triathlon
Subjects -> Sports -> Training -> General
Subjects -> Sports -> Training -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Read his original sources instead 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the Wal-Mart of Triathlon training guides. There is a representative in every department of training, but it does not contain enough of the depth of knowledge and detail that you would like from a "Bible" to be truly satisfying. Throughout the book you will find diluted versions of other works and training books/products (Pose Method, Total Immersion, Paleo Diet, etc). I've found that reading the original sources is much more satisfying for that craving of knowledge. If you are really looking to gain in depth knowledge about the skills, training, and diet necessary for triathlon I would recommend reading the following books as either a supplement or replacement for this book:

1. Dr. Nichloas Romanov's Pose Method of Running (and DVD)
2. Daniel's Running Formula
3. Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Anyone
to Master Open-Water Swimming
4. Easy Freestyle DVD (also by Total Immersion)
5. Bicycling Magazine's Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills
6. The Paleo Diet

Editorial Review:

This new edition of The Triathlete's Training Bible covers all of the specialized training needs of triathletes, including completely updated nutrition, recovery, and weight training information. The book also contains seasoned advice on the mental aspects of training. Author Joe Friel shows how to achieve greater fitness by examining personal strengths and weaknesses, and devotes individual chapters to planning, racing, rest, and recovery. Appendices include annual training plan worksheets and suggested swim, bike, run, and combined workouts.

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer

David A. Whitsett, Forrest A. Dolgener, Tanjala Jo Kole

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 71 new & used starting at $5.50

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Marathons
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Running & Jogging
Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Running & Jogging

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 168 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Athlete. Runner. Marathoner. Are these words you wouldn't exactly use to describe yourself? Do you consider yourself too old or too out of shape to run a marathon? But somewhere deep inside have you always admired the people who could reach down and come up with the mental and physical strength to complete such a daunting and rewarding accomplishment? It doesn't have to be somebody else crossing the finish line. You can be a marathoner. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a Runner's World article titled "Marathoning 101." The class has been offered five times over 10 years, and all but one student finished the marathon. That is approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background. This book follows the same 16-week, four-day-a-week workout plan. What makes the success rate of this program so much higher than any other? The special emphasis on the psychological aspects of endurance activities. You don't have to love to run -- you don't even have to like it -- but you have to realize that you are capable of more than you have ever thought possible. One participant in the program explained it like this: "I'm doing this for me -- not for others or the time clock. I just feel better when I run, plus it helps me to cope with things in general. The skills we've learned in this class don't apply just to marathoning -- they apply to life! Just like you never know what the next step in a marathon will bring, so too, you never know what will happen next in life. But if you don't keep going, you're never going to find out. By staying relaxed, centered, and positive you handle just about anything that comes your way." This is marathon running for real people, people with jobs and families and obligations outside of running. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer has proven successful for men and women of all ages. Now let it work for you.

Stretching

Bob Anderson

List Price: $13.95 By: Shelter Publications Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $0.45

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Stretching
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 102 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Anderson started running and cycling during the salad days of the fitness boom, when the goal was simply to go farther and farther. No one knew what all those miles would do for a body--or do to a body. One day he realized he could barely reach past his knees while sitting on the floor in a straight-legged position. His tight muscles thus revealed, he began a lifelong quest to figure out the secrets of flexibility.

His main discovery--and his core message to readers--is this: "Stretching feels good when done correctly," he writes. "You do not have to push limits or attempt to go further each day. It should not be a personal contest to see how far you can stretch."

The world of sports may have shifted away from Anderson's style of "static" stretching--holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds or longer--but in the everyday world, it's still considered the safest and easiest way for people to become more flexible.

The key to successful stretching, Anderson says, is not trying to do too much. "It's better to understretch than overstretch," he writes. The point of flexibility exercise, after all, is to protect yourself from injury or immobility. The worst thing you can do is hurt and ultimately immobilize yourself while trying to prevent those consequences.

Stretching contains hundreds of exercises, simply and clearly drawn by Jean Anderson, the author's wife. (In an eccentric twist, most of the figures in the drawings are shown wearing wool hats, which Mrs. Anderson designs and sells.) Routines are shown for getting up in the morning, for before and after walking or sitting, and for watching TV. Sport-specific routines include programs for weight training, basketball, golf, running, and many others. All are simple, safe, and as easy as you're willing to let them be. --Lou Schuler

Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach

Brad Hudson, Matt Fitzgerald

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Broadway Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $8.63

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Running & Jogging
Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Running & Jogging
Subjects -> Sports -> Other Team Sports -> Track & Field

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Do you want to run faster? Are you trying to peak for a particular race? Would you like to find your true running potential? Brad Hudson, former Olympic Trials marathoner and current coach to Olympians like Dathan Ritzenhein, will show you the way in this practical, reader-friendly guide. Hudson is the most innovative running coach to come along in a generation. Until now, only a handful of elite athletes have been able to benefit from his methods. Now Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon shows all runners how to coach themselves as confidently and effectively as Brad coaches his world-class athletes. Becoming your own best coach is the ticket to running faster at any distance.
First you will learn to assess your abilities. Then you’ll learn how to devise a training program specifically geared to you. Filled with easy-to-follow sample training programs for distances ranging from the 5K to the marathon and abilities ranging from novice to advanced, Run Faster is the cutting-edge guide for optimal performance.
With Hudson’s guidance, you can train smarter and more effectively—and avoid injury. And you’ll soon be running faster than you ever thought possible!

Strength Training for Triathletes

Patrick Hagerman

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VeloPress Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $13.59

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS
Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Triathlon

Editorial Review:

Most traditional weight lifting programs are too general to benefit triathletes. This illustrated guide offers 60 exercises that build strength for swimming, biking, and running by replicating the muscle usage patterns specific to triathlon events. The exercises are organized by sport and muscle group, allowing triathletes to quickly find the best exercise for their unique training needs. Included are sample seasonal plans for each race distance, along with instructions on adapting training plans to individual needs that make it easy to develop a personal strength training program.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Thomas R. Baechle

List Price: $50.00 By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $4.59

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Evidence-Based Exercise Info at its Best 5 out of 5 stars.
45 of 46 people found this review helpful.

When it comes to telling people how to train, I want to know that the advice I give is based on evidence, not what on other people say, and not on what I "think" is going to work. While you could dig around on various electronic databases, such as Medline to get such information, its nice to have all the latest excercise recommendations based on sound research at your fingertips. And if you're looking for such a book, well, look no further.

Readers who regularly read sports science research will see some familiar names on page vii, which contains the list of people who contributed to the book. To me, knowing that people like Kraemer, Faigenbaum, or Hatfield had a hand in this book puts it on solid ground.

And the book is thorough too. Covering just about every aspect of conditioning and training, from basic exercise physiology to how many sets of an exercise should I do, its just a plain fact that there's not much that has been left out. Of course all the major areas such as strength training, endurance training, and flexibility are there as well. Also notable are the great pictures of stretching and strengthening exercises as well as little numbers (2) to refer the reader to the study the info was taken from. Right on!

My criticisms of this book are picky and few. For example I did notice that on page 299 the book advocates holding a static stretch for 30 seconds to become more flexible. Experts in the field who keep up on the research may not agree with this. While the 30 seconds rule applies to a lot of muscle groups, it does not apply to all- like stretching the calf muscles to increase dorsiflexion (see The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for a nice updated literature review on ankle stretching). In case you're wondering, 30s won't cut it to increase ankle ROM.

In conclusion, as a researcher and trainer, I was really impressed with the evidence-based information and the thoroughness of the text. I think it would be of most benefit to coaches, athletic trainers, personal trainers, or anyone who wants a good resource to guide their exercise prescriptions.

Editorial Review:

This cousebook for students working towards careers in strength and conditioning and/or personal training, mirrors the 35 primary content areas in the US' National Strength and Conditioning Association's examination. It includes self-assessment tests.

Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

Gary Mack, David Casstevens

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $8.42

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Swimming
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best one for athletes! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I have read several books on the mental game in sports and this is by far the best. I work with collegiate and professional athletes and recommend this so often that Gary Mack should send me a commission!!!

not what i expected 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

a solid read, but i was expecting a book that got more into the intricacies of sports psychology, but this book seems to focus more on your thinking off the court then on it.

Well-written and entertaining 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you want to read an inspiring book on the power of the mind in sports, then this book is for you. It is not too packed with information, but it underlines many of the important points in mental coaching. Great stories and examples make it an uplifting read. The only thing missing was a step-by-step instruction guide to mind management - practice makes perfect.

Editorial Review:

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the "head edge" over the competition.

Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

Monique Ryan

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VeloPress Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $13.59

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Diets -> Weight Loss
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Endurance athletes regularly push their bodies to the limits with strenuous training regimens that demand smart nutrition. This book provides sound nutritional guidelines to boost athletic performance in triathlon, cycling, swimming, distance running, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and adventure racing. First, Monique Ryan creates an excellent all-purpose sports diet. Based on the building blocks of a balanced diet — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, as well as fluid, vitamin, and mineral requirements — the diet forms the foundation of the endurance athlete's good health. Individual chapters then offer detailed nutritional advice for athletes training and competing in specific sports. Ryan offers healthy approaches to losing body fat and building muscle and clearly explains the different nutritional needs of training, racing, and recovery. Also included in this practical, easy-to-use guide are tips on meal planning, shopping lists, sample menus, advice for vegetarians, and a review of popular ergogenic aids.

Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body and Your Life

Mark Verstegen

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rodale Books Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $6.88

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 65 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

You probably look at elite athletes and think they have something you don't. Certainly, they can do things the rest of us can't, but they have the same muscles and require the same food. They have to strike a balance between exercise and recovery, or they'll wear down. They need to get leaner and stronger without compromising their endurance or flexibility. And if they don't train intelligently and cautiously, they'll get hurt. Same as you.

Of course, athletes have hours a day to train, and you're probably lucky if you can squeeze in 60 minutes. So it's no wonder that you focus on one or two types of exercise--aerobics, bodybuilding, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, or Tae-Bo--and assume you don't have time to work on all the other aspects of fitness.

Core Performance is the first program that delivers strength and muscle mass, endurance and a lean body, balance and flexibility, athletic quickness and power--all in less than an hour a day. How? By giving you a personal coach who has worked with some of the most famous and successful athletes in the world today.

Mark Verstegen, owner of Athletes' Performance in Tempe, Arizona, and Carson, California, has trained the best of the best: Nomar Garciaparra. Mia Hamm. Roberto Alomar. Mary Pierce. When Verstegen trains an athlete, millions of dollars in salary and signing bonuses are at stake. Bottom line: If he didn't deliver, he'd be out of business. And he's busier than ever.
What works for these gifted athletes will work for you. Sure, you can't do as much exercise as they do, but you don't need to. It takes less than an hour a day to build the type of fitness that improves your life in almost every way. You can straighten your posture, eliminate aches and pains, sleep better, and approach everything you do with more vigor and a better attitude.
Sure, you will get bigger muscles, a tighter waist, and more strength and power. But the biggest benefits come from the inside. The intense focus on the muscles of your core--abdominals, lower back, hips, and thighs--will help you stand taller and prevent the back pain from which most people eventually suffer. The detailed nutrition section guarantees that you'll feed your muscles, starve your fat, and get boundless energy when you need it most. And the attention you'll pay to recovery from your workouts will give you a straight path to the results you want.


li0The potential is within you, and the power to unleash that potential is within Core Performance.