The Muscle & Strength Pyramid - Training


Eric Helms - 2015
    Half-baked ideas based on cherry-picked scientific data that fail to take into account the big picture. We’ve cut through all that with this book.Crystal-clear clarity on the order of things that countWe’ve broken down the factors that go into making strength and hypertrophy-focused training programs into a clear order of importance.A full, detailed and unbiased look into the research...…to draw conclusions about the best methods for bodybuilders, strength athletes, and clear explanations of the overlapping elements. Learn why certain misconceptions pervade the training world, and never be fooled by another cleverly-written magazine article again.Highly detailed example training programsBuilding on all the theory and recommendations in the book, in the last section we have six programs for novice, intermediate and advanced-level bodybuilders and strength-focussed athletes. You can simply pick one and run it as they have been written, but the idea is that you tailor them using the principles you’ve learned in the rest of the book. Full progression examples included also.

Embrace the Suck: A Crossfit Memoir


Stephen Madden - 2014
    He immersed himself in the culture, diet, and psyche of CrossFit--the fast-growing but controversial fitness regime that's a stripped-down combination of high-intensity aerobic activity, weightlifting, calisthenics, and gymnastics. Madden is just one of over two million athletes worldwide to do so. But what's crazier? The fact that such a grueling regimen--in which puking and muscle breakdowns during workouts are common--is so popular, or that people pay good money to do it?In Embrace the Suck, the former editor-in-chief of Bicycling magazine explores with irreverence, humor, and soul-touching candor the fitness revolution sweeping America. Madden chronicles the year he devoted to trying to master all the basic CrossFit exercises, like double unders, muscle-ups, and kipping pullups, and immersing himself in the Paleo diet that strips weight from its followers but leaves them fantasizing about loaves of bread. Along the way, he explores the culture of the sport, his experience becoming a CrossFit coach, and some basic questions about himself, his past, and his athletic limitations--and why something so difficult and punishing can be at once beautiful, funny, and rewarding.Whether you are a CrossFitter or a nascent athlete, you will come away from this book understanding the limitless potential of the human body and mind, and will learn what it takes to welcome and defeat any kind of suck.

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance


David Epstein - 2013
    In college, I ran against Kenyans, and wondered whether endurance genes might have traveled with them from East Africa. At the same time, I began to notice that a training group on my team could consist of five men who run next to one another, stride for stride, day after day, and nonetheless turn out five entirely different runners. How could this be?We all knew a star athlete in high school. The one who made it look so easy. He was the starting quarterback and shortstop; she was the all-state point guard and high-jumper. Naturals. Or were they?The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?The truth is far messier than a simple dichotomy between nature and nurture. In the decade since the sequencing of the human genome, researchers have slowly begun to uncover how the relationship between biological endowments and a competitor’s training environment affects athleticism. Sports scientists have gradually entered the era of modern genetic research.In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success, Sports Illustrated senior writer David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving this great riddle. He investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence.Along the way, Epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel. He shows why some skills that we assume are innate, like the bullet-fast reactions of a baseball or cricket batter, are not, and why other characteristics that we assume are entirely voluntary, like an athlete’s will to train, might in fact have important genetic components.This subject necessarily involves digging deep into sensitive topics like race and gender. Epstein explores controversial questions such as:Are black athletes genetically predetermined to dominate both sprinting and distance running, and are their abilities influenced by Africa’s geography?Are there genetic reasons to separate male and female athletes in competition?Should we test the genes of young children to determine if they are destined for stardom?Can genetic testing determine who is at risk of injury, brain damage, or even death on the field?Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance


Loren Cordain - 2005
    Jennie Brand-Miller, coauthor of the bestselling Glucose Revolution, called it "without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet." Doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades, authors of Protein Power, said, "We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough."Now Dr. Cordain joins with USA triathlon and cycling elite coach Joe Friel to adapt the Paleo Diet to the needs of athletes. The authors show:o Why the typical athletic diet (top-heavy with grains, starches, and refined sugars) is detrimental to recovery, performance, and healtho How the glycemic load and acid-base balance impact performanceo Why consumption of starches and simple sugars is only beneficial in the immediate post-exercise periodAt every level of competition, The Paleo Diet for Athletes can maximize performance in a range of endurance sports.

Primal Endurance: Revolutionize Your Training Approach to Drop Excess Body Fat, Manage Stress, Preserve Health, and Go a Lot Faster!


Mark Sisson - 2016
    While marathons and triathlons are wildly popular and bring much gratification and camaraderie to the participants, the majority of athletes are too slow, continually tired, and carry too much body fat respective to the time they devote to training. The prevailing chronic cardio approach promotes carbohydrate dependency, overly stressful lifestyle patterns, and ultimately burnout.Mark Sisson, author of the 2009 bestseller, The Primal Blueprint, and de-facto leader of the primal/paleo lifestyle movement, expertly applies primal lifestyle principles to the unique challenge of endurance training and racing. Unlike the many instant and self-anointed experts who have descended upon the endurance scene in recent years, Sisson and his co-author/business partner Brad Kearns boast a rich history in endurance sports. Sisson has a 2:18 marathon and 4th place Hawaii Ironman finish to his credit, has spearheaded triathlon s global anti-doping program for the International Triathlon Union, and has coached/advised leading professional athletes, including Olympic triathlon gold and silver medalist Simon Whitfield and Tour de France cyclist Dave Zabriskie. Under Sisson s guidance, Kearns won multiple national championships in duathlon and triathlon, and rose to a #3 world triathlon ranking in 1991.Primal Endurance applies an all-encompassing approach to endurance training that includes primal-aligned eating to escape carbohydrate dependency and enhance fat metabolism, building an aerobic base with comfortably paced workouts, strategically introducing high intensity strength and sprint workouts, emphasizing rest, recovery, and an annual periodization, and finally cultivating an intuitive approach to training instead of the usual robotic approach of fixed weekly workout schedules. When you go Primal as an endurance athlete, you can expect to enjoy these and other benefits in short order: . Easily reduce excess body fat and keep it off permanently, even during periods of reduced training. Perform better by reprogramming your genes to burn fat and spare glycogen during sustained endurance efforts. Avoid overtraining, burnout, illness, and injury by improving your balance of stress and rest, both in training and everyday life. Spend fewer total hours training and get more return on investment with periodized and purposeful workout patterns. Have more fun, be more spontaneous, and break free from the pull of the obsessive/compulsive mindset that is common among highly motivated, goal-oriented endurance athletes. Have more energy and better focus during daily life instead of suffering from the active couch potato syndrome, with cumulative fatigue from incessant heavy training makes you lazy and sluggishPrimal Endurance is about slowing down, balancing out, chilling out, and having more fun with your endurance pursuits. It s about building your health through sensible training patterns, instead of destroying your health through chronic training patterns. While it might be hard to believe at first glance, you can actually get faster by backing off from the overly aggressive and overly regimented Type-A training approach that prevails in today s endurance community. Primal Endurance will show you how, every step of the way."

To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race


Chrissie Wellington - 2017
    With close to 2 million core participants, triathlons of various distances and challenges are attracting more participants than ever before. In TO THE FINISH LINE, one of the sports' greatest legends brings triathlon to life, with guidance for newbies or experienced athletes, to achieve their best triathlons-no matter their ability. Filled with training tips, practical advice and inside information from a champion, triathletes of all levels can benefit from Wellington's experience and insight. Her book will guide readers on their own journey, whether that be a sprint or an Ironman, and encourage them to rise to every new challenge.

High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way


Mike Mentzer - 2002
    Universe competitionThis one-of-a-kind book profiles the high-intensity training (HIT) techniques pioneered by the late Mike Mentzer, the legendary bodybuilder, leading trainer, and renowned bodybuilding consultant. His highly effective, proven approach enables bodybuilders to get results--and win competitions--by doing shorter, less frequent workouts each week. Extremely time-efficient, HIT sessions require roughly 40 minutes per week of training--as compared with the lengthy workout sessions many bodybuilders would expect to put in daily.In addition to sharing Mentzer's workout and training techniques, featured here is fascinating biographical information and striking photos of the world-class bodybuilder--taken by noted professional bodybuilding photographers--that will inspire and instruct serious bodybuilders and weight lifters everywhere.

Eat. Lift. Thrive.


Sohee Lee - 2017
    Exercise. Be happy. It sounds easy enough, so why is it so difficult? Because, as millions of women know, it's not easy. There are challenges and obstacles, and health programs are not one size fits all.Sohee Lee understands, because she's faced the challenges and overcome them. As a trainer, presenter, and author, she's shared her experiences and helped others establish healthy relationships with food and exercise for long-term results.In the book Eat. Lift. Thrive. she empowers you with tools and strategies to make your own change. You will learn how to identify issues that are holding you back and what you can do to get back on track. You'll find motivation, exercise, and advice. And you'll learn how to- incorporate Lee's Living Lean Guidelines to make your diet work around your life, rather than the other way around;- perform her Primary Strength Movements and integrate them into an effective workout program; and- adjust your routine to maintain the results you've achieved.Eat. Lift. Thrive. also provides you with a structured, easy-to-follow 12-week training program. The program can be scaled according to your training experience, time commitment, and goals; it's completely customizable to ensure that your changes are lasting.This book is designed to be different. By the time you're finished, you'll be an expert at moderation and will say goodbye to extremes in dieting. You can have your cake and eat it too--and enjoy it!CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam is available which can be completed after reading this book. The Eat. Lift. Thrive. Online CE Exam may be purchased separately or as part of the Eat. Lift. Thrive. With CE Exam package that includes both the book and the exam.

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman


Timothy Ferriss - 2000
    which 150 pages will you read? Is it possible to: Reach your genetic potential in 6 months? Sleep 2 hours per day and perform better than on 8 hours? Lose more fat than a marathoner by bingeing?   Indeed, and much more. This is not just another diet and fitness book.The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, fixated on one life-changing question: For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results? Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women. From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works. YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each):How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails.* How to prevent fat gain while bingeing (X-mas, holidays, weekends) * How to increase fat-loss 300% with a few bags of ice * How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time * How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested * How to produce 15-minute female orgasms * How to triple testosterone and double sperm count* How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks * How to reverse “permanent” injuries * How to add 150+ pounds to your lifts in 6 months * How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit         And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects. You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue. That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers.

Body, Mind, and Sport: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Health, Fitness, and Your Personal Best


John Douillard - 1994
    Now, with Body, Mind, and Sport, anyone can reach the Zone, regardless of fitness level. Designed to accommodate a variety of individual fitness needs, the Body, Mind, and Sport program is split into two levels. Level 1 is for non-athletes who want to improve overall fitness; Level 2 is for those who want to train for competitive or recreational purposes. Your own unique mind-body type is taken into account to guide you in achieving your personal best without stress or strain. In this revised and updated edition of Body, Mind, and Sport, fitness expert and trainer John Douillard outlines a program in which your individual seasonal constitution-Winter, Spring, or Summer-determines what exercises or sports are best suited to your mind-body type and what foods you should eat for optimum results.Using the Body, Mind, and Sport approach you can decrease heart and breath rates while improving both fitness and performance. Dozens of world-class athletes, including Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, have used John Douillard's expert breathing techniques, dietary recommendations, and seasonally balanced workouts. Now you can, too!

The Yoga Beginner's Bible: Top 30 Illustrated Poses for Weight Loss, Stress Relief and Inner Peace


Tai Morello - 2016
     Limited Time Bonus Inside: 5 Free Guided Meditation Audios! Do you sometimes feel stressed, anxious, lonely and depressed? Are you always up in your head, constantly dwelling on the past and worrying about the future? Do you want to live a more productive, stress-free and happier life? If so, then you've come to the right place. With The Yoga Beginner’s Bible, you will embark on an inner journey that will take you back to the state of peace, joy and happiness you were born to inhabit. From the outside yoga can seem like an esoteric, mystical endeavor exclusively reserved to Tibetan monks and spiritual adepts. This could not be further from the truth. Yoga is not only accessible to anyone, it is easy to learn if you have the right mindset and the benefits are only a few minutes away. In fact, several studies have conformed that a single yoga class for inpatients at a psychiatric hospital had the ability to significantly reduce tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue. The Yoga Beginner’s Bible will teach you : The top 30 poses you must know as a beginner What Yoga really is How to turn Yoga into a habit How to Meditate The Benefits of Yoga And Much more! If your yoga efforts have been frustrating in the past, don’t worry. This book will take you by the hand and show you step-by-step how to develop a life-changing yoga practice. This book will tell you everything you need to know about yoga so that you can get started right away! Don't hesitate. To start on a journey that could deeply transform how you relate to your world, scroll up and grab your copy right now. Check out some of the testimonials below: "Fantastic book for anyone starting their yoga journey! The break down is for each pose is perfect, easy to understand and follow along with. The chapters on mediation are great also. It goes through all the poses and the benefits as well has how to achieve them. Two thumbs up!!!!!!" "The Yoga Bible is a definitive, complete manual for rehearsing yoga and finding a mental and physical equalization in life." ---> SCROLL UP AND CLICK THE ORANGE BUTTON NOW! <---

The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40


Jonathon M. Sullivan - 2017
     The worst advice an older person ever gets is, Take it easy. Easy makes you soft, and soft makes you dead. The Barbell Prescription maps an escape from the usual fate of older adults: a logical, programmed approach to the hard work necessary to win at the extreme sport of Aging Well. Unlike all other books on the subject of exercise for seniors, The Barbell Prescription challenges the motivated Athlete of Aging with a no-nonsense training approach to strength and health - and demonstrates that everybody can become significantly stronger using the most effective tools ever developed for the job.

The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body in 30 Minutes a Week


Fredrick Hahn - 2002
    The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution lays out the accumulating body of scientific evidence that shows the spend-hours-in-the-gym approach to exercise is over. The Slow Burn exercise routine gives great results in just 30 minutes a week. With Slow Burn, you will:*Get strong fast*Increase bone density and ward off osteoporosis*Improve cardiovascular health*Enhance flexibility*Say goodbye to lower back pain*Increase your metabolism, and*Make your body a powerful fat-burning machineSlow Burn promises a leaner, fitter, stronger you with a realistic workout that lets you have a great body and a life!

Treat Your Own Knees: Simple Exercises to Build Strength, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Endurance


Jim Johnson - 2003
    In this compact and accessible book, he shows readers exactly how to improve and maintain the functioning of their knees by enhancing the four crucial abilities every knee must have:** muscular strength** flexibility** responsiveness (proprioception)** enduranceA chapter is devoted to each of these four functions, showing why they are essential. The reader is shown exactly how to do simple home exercises designed to restore or improve that particular ability. The last chapter is a "master plan" that pulls together all the concepts and exercises into a time-efficient exercise program. The author guides the reader effortlessly through the exercise routine.Clear drawings illustrate the muscles responsible for knee pain and the exact way to do the exercises.All the information is based on research trials and studies and evidence from peer-reviewed journals. The author has chosen for this book the best techniques for relieving knee pain.

Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets--Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag


Tom Holland - 2011
    In Beat the Gym, he provides the inside scoop on how to get the most from your gym experience and reach your peak exercise and weight loss goals—offering personal trainer secrets without the personal trainer price tag. The first book of its kind, Beat the Gym offers essential tips and exclusive workouts to help you save thousands of dollars and still build the body of your dreams.