Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

This books separates the reality of training with the nonsense some authors try to convince the everyday novice of. Most books are based on principles that bodybuilders, who are on ridiculous amounts of steroids, utilize. For a natuaral athlete that wants to manipulate his/her own bodily functions to maximize potential gains in the overall field of physical conditioning, whether it be for strength, size, cardiovascular, or plyometric enhancement, this is the ideal book. It begins with an overview of the muscle system, moves into the nervous system, and continues onward, dissecting all the main facets of conditioning into smaller pieces so as to cover EVERYTHING, and I mean everything. This book is not recommended for novices or the uneducated.

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.

I just received this new edition in the mail and I am thoroughy enjoying it. Very detailed, yet pretty easy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone that is training athletes or is interested in strenght training (for any reason). This book is a great resource of knowledge even for people with advanced knowledge in strength training.

I wish I had this book ten years ago; I could have avoided all kinds of painful mistakes and misconceptions in my own training.

The group of contributing authors is extraordinary . You would have to buy at least three or four other books to get all of the same information which most likely is not presented in such a readable and understandable format. It may not be written for beginners, but I believe that most people with the interest in learning can draw as much from this book as an experienced exercise physiologist just looking to review.