100 Best Strength Training Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best strength training books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
Packed with over 600 anatomical illustrations of muscles from each major muscle group, the updated edition features 48 additional pages, 12 new exercises, and 18 stretches. less
Inside, Arnold covers the very latest advances in both weight training and bodybuilding competition, with new sections on diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, and methods of training, each illustrated with detailed photos of some of bodybuilding's newest stars.
Plus, all the... more
This is Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Revised & Updated Edition or simply S&S 2.0.
Learn how to use the extreme hand-held gym from the man who started the kettlebell revolution.
Simple & Sinister will physically prepare you for almost...
moreDrawing 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.
lessMichael GervaisOne of the books I often give away is Mind Gym by Gary Mack. It’s a very mechanical, easy, lots-of-white-space-on-the-page book. And it’s one of my favourites, a very applied synopsis of mental skills from a sport and performance psychology standpoint. (Source)
In Body By Science, bodybuilding powerhouse John Little teams up with fitness medicine expert Dr. Doug McGuff to present a scientifically proven formula for maximizing muscle development in just 12 minutes a week. Backed by rigorous research, the authors prescribe a weekly high-intensity program for increasing strength, revving metabolism, and building muscle for a total fitness experience. less
Nassim Nicholas TalebI feel guilty for not having posted a review earlier: I owe a lot to this book. I figured out the value of intensity training and maximizing recovery. I use the ideas but with minor modifications (my own personal workout is entirely based on free weights and barbells, but I incur --and accept --a risk of injury). I have been applying the ideas for more than three years. Just get over the... (Source)
Rob Leathern@MikeIsaac Get this book. 12 mins a week... love it; it’s not the end-all but I’ve found these approaches better than regular gym https://t.co/s8KRF8luKs (Source)
All expertly demonstrated with color photographs, with... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Join the movement that has reached millions of athletes and coaches; learn how to perform basic maintenance on your body, unlock your human potential, live pain free…and become a Supple Leopard.
Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of... more
"The Strength Training Anatomy Workout "is your guide to creating the body and the results you want. Strengthen arms and legs; increase muscle mass; sculpt chest, back, and core; firm glutes; increase hip flexibility . . . it's all here, and all in the stunning detail that only Frederic Delavier can provide!
Over 150 full-color illustrations allow you to get inside more... more
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... more
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... more
Jon FavreauI’ve given [this book] to people. (Source)
Bryan CallenI probably have recommended The Art of Learning and The 4-Hour Body, I'm not kidding, more than any other books. (Source)
Marin GerovTalking of Tim Ferriss, his series (The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef) have been extremely good resources for improving work, health, and learning. (Source)
With more asanas, vinyasas, full-color anatomical illustrations, and in-depth information, the second edition of "Yoga" "Anatomy" provides you with a deeper understanding of the structures and principles underlying each movement and of yoga itself.
From breathing to inversions to standing poses, see how specific muscles respond to the movements of the joints; how alterations of a pose can enhance or reduce effectiveness; and how the spine, breathing, and body position are all... more
* definitions of key terms and concepts;
* evaluations of equipment options, including TRX, BOSU, and kettlebells;
* explanations of the role and importance of each muscle group;
* latest nutrition information for losing fat and increasing muscle mass;
* presentations of the best exercises,... more
Crystal-clear clarity on the order of things that count
We’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... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises is the essential workout guide for anyone who wants a better body. As the most comprehensive collection of exercises ever created, this book is a body-shaping power tool for both beginners and long-time lifters alike. This book contains hundreds of useful tips, the latest findings in exercise science, and cutting-edge workouts from the world's top trainers.
Backed by the authority of Men's Health magazine, this revised edition of the bestseller will feature 100 new... more
But to complicate matters, a handsome newcomer named Henry Rhodes plagues her with unwanted attention. Though he doesn't believe in the supernatural events, she enlists his help and that of quirky nerd... more
Contreras spent the last eighteen years researching and field-testing the best methods for building better butts and shapelier bodies. In Strong Curves, he offers the programs that have proven effective time and time again with his clients, allowing you to develop lean muscle, rounded glutes, and greater confidence.
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I still remember that first visit to the bodybuilding gym. I had never seen anyone lifting weights before. Those guys were huge and brutal….The weight lifters shone with sweat; they were powerful looking, Herculean. And there it was before me—my life, the answer I'd been seeking. It clicked. It was... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
This book was written for you as a simple, yet detailed instruction manual. You get step-by-step instructions: Do this, don’t do that, eat this, don’t eat that, and so on. This is not just an... more
The scope and content of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Fourth Edition... more
From being kept out of the sporting world by most Ancient Greeks to being told by The New York Times that the 800-meter race was “too great a call on feminine strength,” women have long had to fight against the perception that to be strong is not feminine.
Yet today, as women reclaim space in business... more
A cutting-edge prescription for exercise by the New York Times “Phys Ed” columnist
At one point or another, nearly every person who works out wonders: Am I doing this right? Which class is best? Do I work out enough? Answering those questions and more, The First 20 Minutes helps both weekend warriors dedicated to their performance and readers who simply want to get and stay fit gain the most from any workout.
With the latest findings about the mental and physical benefits of exercise, personal stories from scientists and laypeople alike, as well as... more
Dr. Martin GibalaProvided a really good example or set a bar for us in terms of trying to structure 'The One Minute Workout.' (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Experts agree the fastest and most effective way to build strength and increase muscle mass is to lift weights. Written by top strength training professionals, Strength Training Bible is the comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to mastering the basics of weight lifting and barbell training. Divided by fitness levels, Strength Training Bible shows you how to craft powerful workouts that are tailored to your unique goals. Designed to minimize risk and maximize results, the Strength Training... more
Whether you're a miler or an ultramarathoner, if you want a fit, fast, and injury-resistant running body, there's a better way to train than relentlessly pursuing mileage. This easy-to-use workout manual draws on the latest research in running physiology to target all the components that go into every stride—including muscles, connective tissue, cardiovascular fitness, energy production, the nervous system, hormones, and the brain. With the breakthrough whole-body training program in Build Your... more
Whether you're looking to eliminate love handles, tighten your glutes, or add definition to your legs, "Delavier's Sculpting Anatomy for Women" presents the exercises, programming, and advice for the results you want. It's all here and all in the stunning detail that only Frederic Delavier can provide!
Step-by-step... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Dottir is two-time consecutive CrossFit Games Champion Katrin Davidsdottir's inspiring and poignant memoir. As one of only two women in history to have won the title of “Fittest Woman on Earth” twice, Davidsdottir knows all about the importance of mental and physical strength. She won the title in 2015, backing it up with a second win in 2016, after starting CrossFit in just 2011.
A gymnast as a youth, Davidsdottir wanted to try new challenges and found a love of CrossFit. But it hasn't... more
Annie ThorisdottirI met Katrin during her first week of attending CrossFit classes, shortly after my first CrossFit Games championship...Her story is a reminder to fans and aspiring athletes that anyone can achieve greatness if they are willing to work hard enough. It’s also a testament to the power of Iceland’s Dottirs that makes my heart swell with pride. (Source)
Mat FraserKatrin Davidsdottir is a fierce competitor with a great story. In the season leading up to my first CrossFit Games championship she was my primary training partner, and she pushed me to new levels of performance. That year I trained by myself mostly, but I would picture her there next to me and think, she wouldn’t be putting the bar down… she would be taking shorter breaks. But Kat wasn’t always... (Source)
You deserve to feel powerful, both inside and out. And no matter your age or fitness level, Weight Training for Women is your guide to building strength with free weights. Jumping into a new lifting routine can seem intimidating, but this body-positive book does the heavy lifting for you (pun intended), by walking you through the basics of developing a weightlifting program that helps you get stronger and healthier on your own terms.
Whether you’re at home or at the gym, this book features step-by-step instructions and illustrations... more
Focusing on the primary muscle groups of shoulders, chest, back, arms, legs, and abdominals and targeting muscle zones and hard-to-work areas, Bodybuilding Anatomy can make the difference between bulking up and sculpting an award-winning physique. You will also learn how to modify exercise technique to... more
Whether you're just beginning your routine or looking to enhance an existing conditioning program, Delavier's Core Training Anatomy presents the most effective exercises and workouts for the results you want. It's all here, and all in the stunning detail that only Fr'd'ric Delavier can provide.
With 460 full-color photos and illustrations, you'll go inside over 100 exercises and 60 programs to see how muscles interact with surrounding joints... more
How do professional bodybuilders get that chiseled look? It's as much about what happens in the kitchen as it is about what happens in the gym. Professionals fuel their bodies with precise nutrients delivered at specific times to achieve their sculpted physiques, and now you can, too. The Bodybuilder's Kitchen provides expert guidance on what to eat, when to
eat it, and helps you understand how our bodies use what we eat to burn fat and build lean, strong muscle.... more
Introducing the Incredible True Story of the Greatest Bodybuilder Ever
Ronnie Coleman s Autobiography, told by Ronnie Himself
Best known for winning the Mr. Olympia title eight times, and for lifting every heavyweight in existence (including an 800-pound squat for two easy reps), Ronnie Coleman came from humble beginnings.
Born in rural Louisiana to a single mother, Ronnie rose from poverty to achieve his lifelong goal of becoming the best bodybuilder in history. In the process, he learned about life, victory,... more
Written by a team of experts chosen by the NSCA, Strength Training combines the most valuable information with best instruction for proven results:
- Assessing... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
You don’t have to hire a personal trainer to learn how to lift weights the smart, safe way. The Beginner’s Guide to Weight Lifting is the perfect companion for men and women who are starting from scratch and want to begin working out at the gym or at home.
From air squats to barbell bench presses, you’ll explore beginner-friendly exercises with clear illustrations so you can perfect your form, get stronger while building muscle, and improve your cardiovascular health. The Beginner’s Guide to Weight... more
They say 50 is the new 40, and you can make that a reality with streamlined functional training that is designed specifically for seniors and baby boomers! Stay Fit for Life empowers you to move with more ease and efficiency when performing functional movements such as bending, twisting, pushing, pulling, and reaching, to make everyday activities such as running, gardening, or playing... more
High-intensity bodybuilding advice from the first man to win a perfect score in the Mr. Universe competition
This 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... more
If you want to get strong and ripped naturally, then you need to train like a pro! Building a natural body that is strong and lean takes effort and know-how. Natural bodybuilder Erin Stern is a two-time Ms. Figure Olympia and she knows what it takes to build a body the right way. Now you can use the same natural bodybuilding techniques Erin uses to build lean, strong muscle, and... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
In Strength Training for Fat Loss, Nick Tumminello, renowned trainer and innovator in the field of human performance, explains how to use the 3 Cs of metabolic strength training--circuits, combinations, and complexes--to accelerate your metabolism, maximize fat loss, and maintain muscle.
Inside you'll find these features:
- More than 150 exercises using barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, machines, and body weight
-... more
If you don’t use a program that properly combines speed and strength development with mobility and conditioning, you are failing to achieve peak performance and unnecessarily exposing yourself to injury.
A Training Program Unparalleled... more
Updated in 2015 to reflect current recruitment and physical training standards.
Whether you want to be a Navy SEAL or just be as fit as one, here’s your chance. The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness, Third Edition has returned with updated BUD/S workouts and the latest entrance requirements from the Navy. With this program, you will be ready for any military training or physical challenge in the world. Train with the world’s fittest... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
For many dedicated bodybuilders, the weight-lifting theories of Arthur Jones are gospel. It was Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment, who first discovered that short, intense workouts could produce better results than the long, high-volume workouts then in vogue.
Even though research into Jones's methods has proved them... more
Bodyweight Workouts for Men is a step-by-step guide to one of the hottest fitness trends that truly gets results. Created specifically for men, the workouts in this book can be done anywhere, anytime — gravity and body weight is all guys need.
With this convenient — and free — workout method, you can say goodbye to unwanted pounds and hello to definition as you work through more than 100 bodyweight exercises and 40 routines that blast every muscle in the body.
Full-color photos... more
Workout fads and fitness equipment come and go, but as trainers and bodybuilders know: nothing tops a simple set of dumbbells for convenience, reliability, and versatility when you are trying to build muscles and get in shape. In Men's Health Ultimate Dumbbell Guide, Myatt Murphy, a fitness expert and longtime contributor to Men's Health, shows readers how to use dumbbells to develop just about every... more
For over a decade, bodybuilding expert and personal fitness trainer Kendall Lou Schmidt has helped hundreds of clients, including many world-class athletes and elite physique contenders, achieve spectacular results through easy and effective recipes and customizable meal plans, available now in this book. Her exclusive trade secrets for... more
When it comes to gaining muscle, protein is king in the nutrient world, but you don’t have to be a carnivore to get “swole.” Plants contain the nutrients needed to support your bodybuilding efforts. The Vegan Bodybuilder’s Cookbook is your comprehensive guide to keep you on track towards shredded success.
Learn to complement your training regimen with a plant-based diet featuring 102 delicious recipes, nutritional guidance, and meal plans. With the knowledge presented in this book, you will be on... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
TRX Suspension Training Bible, from renowned strength and conditioning expert Dr. Jay Dawes, is the authoritative guide to suspension training. This resource is so thorough that it has... more
Maximize your strength and muscle definition by applying the latest breakthroughs in scientific research to your training. The new edition of Serious Strength Training presents
-scientifically based guidelines for periodization workouts,
-new information on incorporating popular bodybuilding systems into the periodization plan,
-80 exercises that cause the greatest stimulation in the muscles,
-a nutrition periodization program that explains how to meet the body's changing dietary needs during each phase of training. more
Complete Calisthenics is an essential guide for anyone interested in losing weight, building core strength, and taking their workouts to the next level. Author and trainer Ashley Kalym has designed a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to calisthenics using only one's own bodyweight for resistance. Readers will learn how to execute a wide range of exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, core... more
Experts agree the fastest and most effective way to build strength and enhance muscle tone is to lift weights. Written by top strength training professionals and created specifically for women, Strength Training Bible for Women is the comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to mastering the basics of weight lifting and barbell training. Divided by fitness levels, Strength Training Bible for Women shows you how to craft powerful workouts that are tailored to your unique goals. Designed to minimize risk and... more
Don't have time to read the top Strength Training books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.