Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition

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.

First what this book is NOT:If you are in a big hurry to start exercise or if you do not like the thorough scientific approach to bodybuilding, go for other books. Also this book does not give the exercises (just very few basic ones). Finally what this book is for:The book is intended for training schools; it gives only the scientifically proven facts, and gives these facts clearly and is very well organized.I give it 5 stars because it is exactly what it says it is (very honest approach). The good thing is that bodybuilding world is full of dirt (wrong or suspicious information is everywhere), so this book would clear the mess in the non-educated person's mind and give the most precious information - the PROVEN ESSENTIAL information. And by proven I do not mean proven by Joe Amateur who tried that on himself only - as usually is the case, but SCIENTIFICALY proven. That is the biggest advantage of this book.Unfortunately, this book cannot guard you from all frauds in the field of bodybuilding because the field is too complex and no book can cover everything. If you start with this book, then if you buy some books on exercising, then exercise regularly as your (new) way of living, than think a lot about your training, and maybe some other things...., you will enjoy the most benefits of good health and strong body. A lot of ifs, I know, but every knowledge is hard to grasp.

What a great text ! Here is a deep yet clearly/visually presented text on physical training. I've read a number ofstrength-training books, but most are dominated by thebody-building mentality. This book will make you thinklike a coach and help you understand sport-specific training.

[....]This is THE book if you are preparing to take your CSCS exam. Every chapter is followed by sample exam questions. It's all here, from physiological basics to adavanced program design considerations. If you're serious about understanding the in's and out's of numerous modes of exercise (ie. aerobic, anaerobic, plyometric, etc, etc.), and the differing physiological responses that accompany, than this needs to be on your bookshelf! Everything from nutrition to age and sex specific tranining considerations can be found in this book. Written in terminology easily understood by most people with a health sciences background but accurate and in-depth from cover to cover. This is a phenominal book that as a HUGE bonus has one of the most complete indices re: relevant exercise physio literature that I have ever seen published. A must have reference piece for any library or collection.

I have read several weight training books over the past few months and this is the best one I have seen so far. It is rough going in spots because of the techinical language used by the authors; however, the explanations are wonderful and the pictures are nothing less than outstanding. Numerous charts and graphs help the reader understand the text. So much of what is written about bodybuilding and weight training is fluff, not backed up by true research. In this publication the authors are careful to use only the best research findings and they are excellent at saying when something is thought to be proven verses actually proven.I highly recomend this text to anyone interested in weight training. I read it from cover to cover and was not bored. It is excellent as a reference tool as well.