Strength Training for Triathletes
Patrick S. Hagerman - 2008
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.
Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom
Cameron Stracher - 2013
Jimmy Carter was President; gas prices were soaring; and Americans were hunkering down to weather the economic crisis. But in bookstores Jim Fixx’s The Complete Book of Running was a bestseller. Frank Shorter’s gold medal in the 1972 Olympic marathon had put distance running in the mind of a public enamored of baseball and football. Suddenly, the odd activity of "jogging" became "running," and America was in love. That summer, a junior from the University of Oregon named Alberto Salazar went head to head with Olympic champion Frank Shorter and Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers at the Falmouth Road Race, losing in the last mile to Rodgers's record-setting 32:21, nearly dying in the process, and setting the stage for a great rivalry. In Shorter, Rodgers, and Salazar, running had its conflict and drama like boxing had Ali and Foreman, like basketball had Russell and Chamberlain. Each man built on what the other achieved, and each pushed the other to succeed. Their successes, in turn, fueled a nation of coach potatoes to put down the remote and lace up their sneakers.Kings of the Road tells the story of running during that golden period from 1972 to 1981 when Shorter, Rodgers, and Salazar captured the imagination of the American public as they passed their figurative baton from one to the other. These three men were American running during those years, while the sport enjoyed a popularity never equaled. As America now experiences a similar running boom, Kings of the Road is a stirring, inspiring narrative of three men pushing themselves toward greatness and taking their country along for the ride.
Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery
Christie Aschwanden - 2019
She investigates claims about sports drinks, chocolate milk, and “recovery” beer; examines the latest recovery trends; and even tests some for herself, including cryotherapy, foam rolling, and Tom Brady–endorsed infrared pajamas. Good to Go seeks an answer to the question: Do any of these things actually help the body recover and achieve peak performance?
Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life
Jillian Michaels - 2010
Believe. Achieve.Many self-help books offer a lot of new age platitudes and sappy mantras:Just love yourself.See the glass as half full.Believe it and it will come.Really? That’s not how it works, and you know it. A lifetime’s worth of struggle is not overturned in a small moment of positive thinking. But if you have the right attitude—attitude and skills—you can and will accomplish anything and everything you want. This book gives you both, attitude and action. By its end you will have all the tools you need to change your life. No hype. No false promises. You will learn to:• Cultivate your passion and embrace your uniqueness to create a purpose-filled life . . .on your own terms.• Transform your suffering into peace, wisdom, and strength.• Work through fear, worry, shame, and negative self-talk to blast through obstacles and create self-confidence, self-esteem, and a healthy self-image.• Take powerful, informed, deliberate actions to make your dreams a reality.Forget surviving: it’s your time to thrive. You do have the ability and potential to achieve unlimited health, wealth, and happiness. Getting there won’t all be easy—nothing worthwhile ever is—but take this journey and your life will change dramatically. Your possibilities are unlimited, and your life is waiting for you to break free and claim it
Do Life: The Creator of 'My 120-Pound Journey' Shows How to Run Better, Go Farther, and Find Happiness
Ben Davis - 2012
Depressed, addicted to food, and morbidly obese, he thought he’d lost all hope. But after a Christmas Eve conversation with his grandmother, Ben promised himself that he would finally take control of his life. Ben decided to “do life,” and so can you. He started running—slowly at first, but as the pounds came off and his outlook on life started to change, he went faster and further. At first, he couldn’t run a mile, but before long he was running five, ten, and then twenty miles at a time. His father and brother joined him, and as a team they ran a marathon and went on to complete one of the hardest physical competitions in the world, the Ironman. Throughout his journey, Ben captured his transformation in a series of YouTube videos, inspiring countless others around the world to “do life” along with him. In Do Life, Ben shares more of his personal story--from his lifelong struggles with food and obesity to each goal that he set for himself along his journey, including the pitfalls, setbacks, and hard won victories. But in Do Life, Ben does more than tell his story. He illustrates how you can use his techniques to start living your own life to the fullest, whether that means making a complete transformation, losing weight, or simply running further. Running taught Ben how to “do life” and here he teaches you what he’s learned along the way—how to set aside crippling fear and self-doubt, finally find your smile, and ultimately share it with those around you. By sharing his discovery of what was holding him back and how he was able to push forward, Ben will teach you how to break free from any obstacle and live the life you’ve always wanted. Do Life isn’t just about diet or exercise, depression, or addiction—it’s about stepping out of your ordinary life and becoming who you want to be. It’s the story of one man who decided to live life his way. And it could be your story, too.
Fast-Track Triathlete: Balancing a Big Life with Big Performance in Long-Course Triathlon
Matt Dixon - 2018
Developed for busy professionals with demanding schedules, the Fast-Track Triathlete program makes your PR possible in Ironman®, Ironman 70.3®, Rev3, and Challenge triathlon in about 10 hours a week. Training for long-course triathlons once demanded 15-20 hours each week—on top of work, family, travel and other time commitments. For many, preparing for long-distance triathlon is more challenging than the race itself. Now Fast-Track Triathlete opens the door to your best performance in full- and half-distance triathlons in half the traditional training time. Dixon’s laser-focused, effective approach to workouts, recovery, strength and mobility, and nutrition means you can prepare for triathlon’s greatest challenges in just 7-10 hours per week for half-distance and 10-12 hours per week for full-distance. Fast-Track Triathlete includes• Dixon’s complete guide to creating a successful sport and life performance recipe• How to plan out your triathlon training• Scaling workouts for time and fatigue• Training and racing during travel• Executing your swim-bike-run and transitions plan on race day• 10-week off-season training program with key workouts• 14-week pre-season training program with key workouts• 14-week comprehensive race-prep full and half training plans with fully integrated strength and conditioningDixon’s first book, The Well-Built Triathlete, revealed his four-tiered approach to success in all triathlon race distances. Fast-Track Triathlete turbocharges Dixon’s well-built program so even the busiest athletes can achieve their long-distance triathlon dreams without sacrificing so much to achieve them.
Don't Give Up, Don't Give In: Lessons from an Extraordinary Life
Louis Zamperini - 2014
Survivor.Hero. Legend.Completed just two days before Louis Zamperini's death at age 97, Don't Give Up, Don't Give In shares a lifetime of wisdom, insight, and humor from one of America's most inspiring lives. Zamperini's story has touched millions through Laura Hillenbrand's biography Unbroken, soon to be a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie. Now, in his own words, Louis Zamperini reveals, with warmth and great charm, the essential values and lessons that sustained him throughout his remarkable journey.He was a youthful troublemaker from California who turned his life around to become a 1936 Olympian and a world-class miler at the University of Southern California. Putting aside his superstar track career, Louis Zamperini volunteered for the army before Pearl Harbor and was thrust into the violent combat of World War II as a B-24 bombardier. While on a rescue mission, his plane went down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where he survived, against all odds, drifting two thousand miles in a small raft for forty-seven days. His struggle was only beginning: Zamperini was captured by the Japanese and, for more than two years, he courageously endured torture and psychological abuse in a series of prisoner-of-war camps. He returned home to face more dark hours, but in 1949 Zamperini's life was transformed by a spiritual rebirth that would guide him through the next sixty-five years of his long and happy life.Cowritten with longtime collaborator David Rensin, Louis Zamperini's Don't Give Up, Don't Give In is an extraordinary last testament that captures the wisdom of a life lived to the fullest.A son of Italian immigrants, Louis Zamperini (1917-2014) was a U.S. Olympic runner, World War II bombardier, and POW survivor. After the war, he returned to the United States to found the Victory Boys Camp for at-risk youth and became an inspirational speaker. Zamperini's story was told in his 2003 autobiography Devil at My Heels, as well as in Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 biography Unbroken.David Rensin worked closely with Louis Zamperini for many years and cowrote Devil at My Heels, as well as fifteen other books, including five New York Times bestsellers.
The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance
Steven Kotler - 2014
Drawing on over a decade of research and first-hand interviews with dozens of top action and adventure sports athletes such as big–wave legend Laird Hamilton, big–mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and skateboarding pioneer Danny Way, Kotler explores the frontier science of “flow,” an optimal state of consciousness where we perform and feel our best.Building a bridge between the extreme and the mainstream, The Rise of Superman explains how these athletes are using flow to do the impossible and how we can use this information to radically accelerate our performance in our own lives.At its core, this is a book about profound possibility, what is actually possible for our species, and where—if anywhere—our limits lie.
The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess
Lou Schuler - 2005
This book is for the woman whos ready to throw down the Barbie weights and start a strength and conditioning program that will give her the body she wants. Illustrated.
Hard Style Abs: Hit Hard. Lift Heavy. Look the Part
Pavel Tsatsouline - 2012
But not simply to swivel heads with your rippling six-pack. For, according to Pavel, your abs should be simultaneously weapon, armor and force generator. The six-pack is just a side effect of the coiled power with which you now operate. Hardstyle Abs will give you impenetrable body armor-to withstand a direct hit of the greatest magnitude. Hardstyle Abs will give you the generative force to retaliate with a devastating backlash. And Hardstyle Abs will help you lift more weight than ever before-more safely. After years of dedicated research and experimentation, Pavel has identified three killer drills, as all you need to achieve this level of mid-section mastery. Follow Pavel's battle plan to the T and the results are guaranteed-noticeable within weeks, extraordinary within months. Pavel provides the laser focus. You? Simply obey the commands. The highlights of Pavel's HardStyle Abs program: Why high reps have failed you-and the secret sauce that will have your abs tuned for heavy action all day long and at a moment's notice. Hardstyle breathing-for explosive power and a bullet-proof waist. The Hardstyle Sit-up-to generate an unbelievable contraction for superior results. Internal Isometrics-the lost secret behind the old-time physical culturalists' exceptional abdominal strength and development. The Hardstyle Hanging Leg Raise-the final weapon you must master to channel the power of your every muscle into one devastating surge. My good friend Pavel is the functionally strongest pound for pound man I have ever measured and studied. This validates his approaches-they are not polluted by current trend, political correctness, financial gain or ego. Listen to his wisdom and you will be stronger and wiser. I did, and I am. -Professor Stuart McGill, author of Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance
Confessions of a Fat Marathoner
Kristina Burkey - 2013
Take it from me.Thin people think it sucks too but they don’t have an ass like mine or twin double-D’s to control.My name is Kristina Burkey and this is my book. It started as my blog when I was training for the Boston Marathon in 2011. It became a grown-up book after I had crossed that most prestigious of finish lines and wondered to myself, “Well, NOW what?”You see, most people take a few years to build up to a marathon. Boston was my fourth race EVER inside of 2 years. I guess I jumped ahead. So I went back. And I did my first 5k a year later. Then a 10k. Then I tried to get faster so I wasn’t always looking at everyone’s back or being followed by a giant bus ordered to pick up the people who can’t finish.Confessions of a Fat Marathoner is my journey through a lifetime of being overweight and my decision to change my fate. In these pages I run, I eat, I complain. I learn about running, I push my fat body past its comfort zone (WAY past). I remove the limitations I was only putting on myself, and I dig around to try and find the reason why I was hanging onto the weight. Now don’t get all excited. This isn’t one of those books. I’m still fat. Sometimes there’s more to a journey like mine than just getting “fat to fit.”Also, if you think this is another piece of inspirational fluff, think again. Along with all my stories about the weird crap (and occasional wild animal) I see while I’m on training runs and the odd people I meet, I will randomly go off on subjects like, “Why don’t they make exercise clothes for fat people? Don’t we need them the most?” and “Why are you snooty salesgirls so rude to me? So what if you think I can’t fit in your clothes? Are you or are you not still getting your paycheck?” and the unfortunate practice of prejudice.Plus, there is the deliciously cringe-worthy subject of the truth about running. Every smelly, sweaty, steaming, gory, squishy, burning detail. It’s all here. You’re welcome. So grab your favorite snack, find a fresh, un-used Port-o-Potty, strap in and read my adventures. They say a journey of 1,000 miles (or 26.2) starts with a single step.Here’s mine.
The Incomplete Book of Running
Peter Sagal - 2018
Peter Sagal, the host of NPR’s beloved show Wait Wait..Don’t Tell Me and a popular columnist for Runner’s World, shares his insightful and entertaining look at life and running that explores the transformative power of the sport.
Yoga for Runners
Christine Felstead - 2013
You can feel that impact in the muscles, ligaments, and bone structures throughout your body. Thankfully, Yoga for Runners addresses both the physical and mental demands of the sport. Whether you are new to yoga or have practiced for years, Yoga for Runners provides you with the most effective poses--88 poses in all. Each pose is described in detail to ensure correct execution, maximizing the physical benefit and decreasing the risk of injury.You'll learn how simple yoga techniques can be incorporated into your existing running workouts and routines to eliminate chronic aches and pains. Discover how each pose can be sequenced to address a specific need, such as strengthen and lengthen the hamstrings, strengthen and increase mobility of the hip joint, eliminate lower-back and upper-body discomfort, speed the recovery process after a practice run or a race, maintain a strong core, or just restore and rejuvenate to prepare for an upcoming event. These sequences target all troublesome muscle regions. Anatomical illustrations and descriptions explain why these poses and sequences decrease your risk of acute or chronic injury as well as why they are beneficial to your training regimen.After just a few weeks of following Yoga for Runners, you will feel stronger, more balanced, more in tune with your breathing, and more aware of your posture and technique. Your entire running experience--endurance, strength, breathing, and mental sharpness--will be more productive, positive, and enjoyable.
Challenging Beliefs: Memoirs of a Career
Tim Noakes - 2011
Through a lifetime of research, he has developed key scientific concepts in sport that have not only redefined the way elite athletes and teams approach their professions, but challenged conventional global thinking in these areas.In this new and updated edition of Challenging Beliefs, Noakes gives his views on everything from overtraining, banned substances and the dangers of rugby to the sports-drink industry, and children and sport, debunking a few sporting myths in the process. Stories and case studies of the teams and athletes with whom he has worked are also included. In providing an intimate look at the golden threads running through Noakes's life and career, this truly fascinating book reveals the groundbreaking theories and principles generated by one of the greatest minds in the history of sports science.
The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive
Jim Afremow - 2014
These athletes prove that raw athletic ability doesn’t necessarily translate to a superior on-field experience—it’s the mental game that matters most.Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at an all-time high. While the caliber of their game may differ, athletes at every level have one thing in common: they want to excel. In The Champion’s Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, LPC, now offers the same advice he uses with Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including:• Tips and techniques based on high-performance psychology research, such as how to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble• How to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term• Customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is droppedThe Champion’s Mind distills actionable advice into clear and concise steps for athletes looking to find confidence, concentration, and mental preparedness—the mental edge that sets champions apart.