Before We Go: An On-Going Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning


Dan John - 2015
    Nothing’s changing; you’re not getting stronger or leaner or feeling better, and, heck, maybe you’ll just take a layoff and see what happens.You know what happens. That two-week layoff lasts a year, that’s what happens!Now consider this: Traffic was light and you’re fifteen minutes early for your dental cleaning appointment. You flip open your tablet and bring up your new copy of Before We Go. By the time the dental tech calls you, you’ve read two article chapters and are amped to get to the gym. Your mind is racing through the appointment, and it’s all you can do to stay in that squeaky lounge chair.You get to the gym an hour later and sail through the best workout you’ve had in months, maybe years.That’s what this book can do for you.“I go through one chapter at a time, slowly, and let it percolate.” ~ TC Luoma, Editor-in-Chief, T NationDan John’s Before We Go will spur your training to that exciting level you love. Following the pattern set by his earlier book Never Let Go (230 reviews averaging five stars, still in the top 30 weight training books after five years on Kindle), Before We Go is the second compilation of Dan’s best articles previously published online.

Beyond Bodybuilding


Pavel Tsatsouline - 2005
    with a Classical Education in the Wisdom of the Past - and the Scientific Breakthroughs of the Modern Day MastersPavel has spent his life immersed in the study and practice of practical strength training. as it applies in the very hard testing ground of both American and Soviet Spec ops, of the US Marines, SWAT, professional athletes, martial artists, gymnasts, powerlifters, weightlifters, Olympic champions and numerous other tough, tough competitors - where results are everything and failure is simply not on the menu.Pavel has, frankly, done the research for you. plundering both the classic and the little-known strength texts from past and present. networking and comparing notes with many of today's great masters. submitting his own body to the pain of infinite experiment. And Pavel has trained thousands of troops and police whose life might depend on his tips. hundreds of athletes and martial artists with the chance to achieve their dreams thanks to his advice.In Beyond Bodybuilding, you get the essence of most-all of the strategies, tips, routines and fine points Pavel has developed over many, many years for these elite men and women of the strength game. Now, with Beyond Bodybuilding, there are simply no more excuses for not excelling in strength, continuing to gain, continuing to reach new heights in your performance.Beyond Bodybuilding is a treasure chest of strength training secrets.-LARRY SCOTT, Author of Loaded Guns, former Mr. America, Mr. Universe and the first Mr. OlympiaEvery aspect of training is covered in Pavel's Beyond Bodybuilding from flexibility to all types of strength development, U.S.M.C. training, tips from many of the greatest strength experts around the world, plus a glossary of exercises to fit everyone's needs. I salute Pavel and Beyond Bodybuilding.-LOUIE SIMMONS, Westside Barbell I wholeheartedly

THE Complete Keys to Progress


John McCallum - 1993
    Here they are: the full collection of the original John McCallum articles, classic gems. If you were to only buy one book - ever - on how to train, this is it. 288 pp.

Squat Every Day


Matt Perryman - 2013
    Thoughts on Overtraining and Recovery in Strength Training.

Super Squats: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks


Randall J. Strossen - 1989
    John had no special genetic gifts and no interest in drugging up; plus, he had to keep the training routine and the accompanying diet very simple as well as extremely effective. Enter SUPER SQUATS, and six weeks later, the 150-pound, somewhat shaky version of John Doe had been replaced by a 180-pound fire breather who knew he could walk through walls, because he'd just done it. SUPER SQUATS is the definitive book on the classic 20-rep squat routine . . . it's been around for almost 75 years and it's the system that turns scarecrows into musclemen. Whether you're trying to outgrow your size small shirts or are hunting for a win at World's Strongest Man, here's the winning recipe when it comes to bulking up. 112 pp.

The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning: How to Get Stronger and Tougher--In the Gym and in Life--Using the Training Secrets of the Athletic Elite


Zach Even-Esh - 2014
    If there’s a hardcore, super-functional tool or tactic for maximizing strength, speed or muscle, it’s here—bodyweight, kettlebells, barbells, tires, ropes, sandbags, kegs and sleds. The bodyweight section alone is worth more than the price of the book—it’s a ‘must read’ for calisthenics fans. No book combines the old-school methods of strength training and muscle-building with the new science of performance enhancement and athletic conditioning better than The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning. And no author delivers his knowledge with more heart and passion than Zach Even-Esh. This 'bible of strength' is an inspiring must-read for every athlete, coach and fitness enthusiast of any age who wants to help themselves or others get an edge on the competition and become bigger, stronger, faster and tougher.Zach Even-Esh has filled his book with the kind of wisdom that can only be obtained from years in the trenches making mistakes and learning from them. Zach outlines techniques and tactics to build not only useable strength, but well-rounded athleticism that enhances performance and provides resilience from injury. The ultimate report card for a coach is results, not knowledge of theory. Zach gets results for real people.•Become the Total Athletic Package, with a farm boy’s all-around power and a gladiator’s whipcord resilience…•Develop the mental toughness, durability and spiritual fortitude that would do a hardened Spec Ops proud…•Develop the steely, never-ever-quit endurance capacity of a true champion…•Become fully prepped to overcome the rigors and uncertainties of your combat-sport—or whatever else gets thrown at you…•Combine the horsepower of a Ferrari with the grinding strength of a tow truck…•Get stacked with righteous cords of “GO! GO! GO!” hyper-powerful, hyper-functional muscle…•Make relentless progress in your physical prowess—without sacrificing your health…•Develop a tigrish self-confidence that guarantees you NEVER surrender to any set back or apparent obstacle…You CAN have all of this—and a whole lot more—because master-athletic coach Zach Even-Esh, has already delivered on these promises to literally thousands of real-world athletes over the last 25 years…Zach has spent over 25 years figuring out what REALLY works in the REAL world to be utterly devastating athletically. And he is ready to share ALL of this hard-won know-how with you…Zach’s sole mission in life is to pass on to the world what truly does work to produce an EFFECTIVELY strong and powerful human being.Punch a ticket to ride with Zach—and enter the exalted territory of the “Soul Athlete”…“Soul Athletes” see the whole world as their physical-transformation playground. Doesn’t matter where you are—you work with what you got…trees, sand, tires, sledgehammers, kettlebells, barbells, ropes, trucks, sandbags, ocean, kegs, stones, sleds, bodyweight, free weights, training partners, playgr

Infinite Intensity


Ross Enamait - 2005
    This program integrates a lifetime of in the trenches experience, coupled with years of extensive research.Don't expect a picture book filled with secret exercises or bogus promises. There is nothing new under the sun. This 250 page manual will outline a complete system, from A to Z, covering all aspects of physical training.The philosophy behind this program is simple. If it works, we will use it. This program is not limited to one training style (ex. bodyweight exercise vs. weight training). This manual incorporates the best of both worlds.A sample 50 day routine is provided which applies the principles detailed throughout the manual. Topics Include: Dumbbell training for power and strength Advanced bodyweight exercises Isometrics Weighted and bodyweight core movements Low budget options for homemade training equipment Heavy bag drills for enhanced punching power Conditioning drills to enhance each energy system An analysis of periodization for combat athletes Research from world renowned sports scientists Commonly neglected areas such as the hands and neck A 50 day training program And much, much more... Infinite Intensity will enable the athlete to optimize strength and endurance based on the unique needs of the individual. This program will teach you how and why to incorporate strength training and conditioning, without allowing one objective to interfere with another.

Practical Programming for Strength Training


Mark Rippetoe - 2006
    Based on a combined 60+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, sports psychology, and common sense. Contrary to the one-size-fits-all models of periodization offered elsewhere, Practical Programming explains the differences in response to exercise commonly observed between athletes at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, explains these differences in the context of the relevant exercise science, and presents new training models that actually work for athletes at all levels of experience. Complete with new, innovative graphical representations of cutting-edge concepts in exercise programming, Practical Programming is sure to become a standard reference in the field of exercise and human performance. Contributor: Glenn Pendlay

Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance


Kelly Starrett - 2013
    In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier, more fulfilling life.Performance is what drives the human animal, but the human animal can be brought to an abrupt halt by dysfunctional movement patterns. Oftentimes, the factors that impede performance are invisible to not only the untrained eye, but also the majority of athletes and coaches. Becoming a Supple Leopard makes the invisible visible. In this one of a kind training manual, Starrett maps out a detailed system comprised of more than two hundred techniques and illuminates common movement errors that cause injury and rob you of speed, power, endurance, and strength. Whether you are a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone wanting to live healthy and free from restrictions, Becoming a Supple Leopard, will teach you how to maintain your body and harness your genetic potential. Learn How to: Pprevent and rehabilitate common athletic injuries Overhaul your movement habits quickly identify, diagnose, and fix inefficient movement patterns Problem solve for pain and dysfunction in austere environments with little equipment Fix poor mechanics that rob power, bleed force, and dump torque Unlock reservoirs of athletic capacity you didn't know you had Identify and fix poor movement patterns in children Reverse the aging process Develop strategies that restore function to your joints and tissues Accelerate recovery after training sessions and competition Create personalized mobility prescriptions to improve movement efficiency Improve your quality of life through regained work capacity Run faster, jump higher, and throw farther

The Purposeful Primitive: From Fat and Flaccid to lean and Powerful-Using the Primordial Laws of Fitness to Trigger Inevitable


Marty Gallagher - 2008
    Primitive tools and simple modes are used to power sparse methods. We force the body to favorably reconfigure itself by generating physical and psychological fierceness during training. Commonsense nutritional strategies and Old School training tactics are synchronized and placed within a periodized timeframe. The three interrelated Purposefully Primitive disciplines (weight training, cardiovascular training and nutrition) need to be regularly and routinely practiced in a balanced and proportional fashion. Lock down all aspects of the program and within seven days of full implementation tangible results appear; by the end of the first month, body composition (the fat-to-muscle ratio) undergoes a dramatic turnaround; those who commit completely for 90 days undergo a total metamorphosis. No matter how deep a physical hole you are currently standing in, 90 days of maniacal discipline and teeth-gritting effort will enable you to utterly and completely change the shape, texture, efficiency and hardness of your body.

Stretching Your Boundaries: Flexibility Training for Extreme Calisthenic Strength


Al Kavadlo - 2014
    Watch yourself move with the fluidity and grace of a great dancer. Feel your strength as you power into and hold the most challenging of bodyweight exercise moves. See yourself ripple with the muscular, toned, symmetrical physique that signals the perfect marriage of form and function. All of this could be yours—with the right mindset, the right knowledge, the right mentor and the right blueprint for success. Enter Al Kavadlo—and his hard-earned skills in the world of bodyweight exercise training. This is a man who walks the walk of his talk—and then some. A man who models the capabilities and qualities of a bodyweight master—while also being able to teach and inspire others in the most practical of manners. In Stretching Your Boundaries, Al provides a blueprint that anyone can follow to achieve supreme physical elegance, mobility and strength—and to amp up their game in any aspect of physical performance. Stretching Your Boundaries could have been called “Yoga Meets Calisthenics”. Or “Zen and the Art of Stretch”. Because—as with the best of the physical culturists—there is a deep, yet lightly-carried spiritual “vibe” to Al’s teachings. There is a humble joy and a sense of well-being emanating from the man—that speaks volumes about his program. If you really want to succeed as a physical culturist—and if you really want to live a healthy, happy, long life—then the right combination of spirit, wisdom and hard, skilled practice is the essential recipe, or template if you will. In Stretching Your Boundaries you will find the time-tested tools you need to continue cultivating yourself as a magnificent human artwork. Fitting Al Kavadlo’s message is the medium: the book has gorgeous design and stunning photography—that will inspire you for years to come. “The ultimate bodyweight mobility manual is here! Al Kavadlo’s previous two Dragon Door books, Raising the Bar and Pushing the Limits, are the most valuable bodyweight strength training manuals in the world. But strength without mobility is meaningless. Al has used his many years of training and coaching to fuse bodyweight disciplines such as yoga, martial arts, rehabilitative therapy and bar athletics into the ultimate calisthenics stretching compendium. Stretching Your Boundaries belongs on the shelf of any serious athlete—it’s bodyweight mobility dynamite!—"COACH" PAUL WADE, author of Convict Conditioning "An absolutely masterful follow up to Raising the Bar and Pushing the Limits, Stretching Your Boundaries really completes the picture. Both easy to understand and fully applicable, Al's integration of traditional flexibility techniques with his own unique spin makes this a must have. The explanation of how each stretch will benefit your calisthenics practice is brilliant. Not only stunning in its color and design, this book also gives you the true feeling of New York City, both gritty and euphoric, much like Al's personality." —MIKE FITCH, creator of Global Bodyweight Training “Stretching Your Boundaries is a terrific resource that will unlock your joints so you can build more muscle, strength and athleticism. Al's passion for human performance radiates in this beautifully constructed book. Whether you're stiff as a board, or an elite gymnast, this book outlines the progressions to take your body and performance to a new level." —CHAD WATERBURY, M.S.

Beyond Brawn: The Insider's Encyclopedia on How to Build Muscle & Might


Stuart McRobert - 1998
    By acknowledging your individuality, this book teaches you how to train yourself. The 'how-to' guidance includes: why conventional training is fundamentally wrong and must be bypassed; how to overhaul your training philosophy; how to design and personalise your own training programs; and more.

Beyond 5/3/1: Simple Training for Extraordinary Results


Jim Wendler - 2013
    Beyond 5/3/1 has all the tools you need to push the boundaries of strength, intensity, frequency and the quest for a new personal record.Beyond 5/3/1 will allow you to expand your training program to fit your goals and training style. This book has new templates and variations for every lifter that is looking for an edge. This book pushes the 5/3/1 program in every direction with one goal - to get stronger.

Kettlebell Rx: The Complete Guide for Athletes and Coaches


Jeff Martone - 2011
    Drawing on his world-wide research and the thousands of classes he has taught to athletes around the world, he breaks down kettlebell training like never before. He offers hundreds of movements, both beginning and advanced, shows dozens of the most common errors students make while training, and offers numerous workouts for athletes of all varieties. With over four thousand step-by-step photographs, descriptive narrative, and detailed programming, Kettlebell Rx is the only complete Kettlebell book on the market.

Science and Practice of Strength Training


Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky - 1995
    A new coauthor, Dr. William Kraemer, joins Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky in expanding on the principles and concepts needed for training athletes. Among Dr. Kraemer's contributions are three new chapters targeting specific populations--women, young athletes, and seniors--plus the integration of new concepts into the other chapters.Together the authors have trained more than 1,000 elite athletes, including Olympic, world, continental, and national champions and record holders. The concepts they divulge are influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives. The authors integrate those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, coaching experiences, and directions based on scientific findings. This edition is much more practical than its predecessor; to this end, the book provides the practitioner with the understanding to craft strength training programs based on individuals' needs.Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition, shows that there is no one program that works for any one person at all times or for all conditions. This book addresses the complexity of strength training programs while providing straightforward approaches to take under specific circumstances. Those approaches are applied to new physiological concepts and training practices, which provide readers with the most current information in the science and practice of strength training. The approaches are also applied to the three new chapters, which will help readers design safe and effective strength training programs for women, young athletes, and seniors. In addition, the authors provide examples of strength training programs to demonstrate the principles and concepts they explain in the book.The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the basis of strength training, detailing concepts, task-specific strength, and athlete-specific strength. Part II covers methods of strength conditioning, delving into training intensity, timing, strength exercises, injury prevention, and goals. Part III explores training for specific populations. The book also includes suggested readings that can further aid readers in developing strength training programs.This expanded and updated coverage of strength training concepts will ground readers in the understanding they need in order to develop appropriate strength training programs for each person that they work with.