is there 'one book' on all aspects of weight training????

wersal gummage

As the title says, just wondering if there is one book I can get, a sort of encyclopedia, of weight-lifting and training - not just body building. but everything, different types of training, all the different movements to work every muscle etc etc. I know arnie has one but just wanted to hear from people who know the story on what is recommended. thanks.

just looking for this as i've been training for years and thought i had a fairly good idea about things until i found this forum a few weeks ago and started to realise how little i actually know (i've never done any proper core work for example, and i've been doing rotary cuff exercises for years without knowing what they were..... little things like this - i'd like to just start reading up a bit more about the whole thing)

BossArky

I would also be interested to hear further suggestions. To date these are the ones I have and would recommend:

• The Modern Encloypedia of BodyBuilding - Arnie
• Brawn - Stuart McRobert
• Starting Strength - Mark Rippetoe

The Guvnor

Arnold's book is excellent - it covers a lot but most importantly it gives you good descriptions of how each exercise should be done.

It's also not that expensive and if you get the hardback version heavy enough to do some curls with or even kickbacks!:)

token

• 'Practical Programming for Strength Training' by Rippetoe & Kilgore.

Starting Strength and Practical Programming are two books I've gotten a lot from. Interested to hear other suggestions.

wersal gummage

yeah i'm leaning towards arnie - which is what i was thinking in the first place.

token wrote: »

• 'Practical Programming for Strength Training' by Rippetoe & Kilgore.

.

thanks. is this basically the starting strength programme though ?? i.e. train 3 times a week, squat and deadlift etc ??? does the book go into anything else ???

i'm not really looking for a programme - i'm more looking for an exhaustive guide to every possible movement you can do for every muscle group.

dartstothesea

Starting Strength isn't exhaustive but it goes into detail on way more than just the SS Program lifts.

dartstothesea

Is there some other, less useful book on BB out by Arnie? I seem to recall his 'bible' being sneered at by at least one fitness guru type.

wersal gummage

has anybody heard of, or better still, read Strength Training Anatomy by Frederick Delavier - it seems to get great reviews on Amazon ???

token

wersal gummage wrote: »

thanks. is this basically the starting strength programme though ?? i.e. train 3 times a week, squat and deadlift etc ??? does the book go into anything else ???

i'm not really looking for a programme - i'm more looking for an exhaustive guide to every possible movement you can do for every muscle group.

No it goes into depth on the science of how to get stronger and how to contruct your training. Check some of the reviews on amazon. It's a very good read. If you take it in you should be able to construct your own strength training programme if you wished and understand why it works and be able to make nescessary changes along the way to maintain progress.

The SS book is pretty good for what you are looking for it's not an exhaustive guide to every possible movement but its pretty close. There is a chapter on useful assistance exercises. I'm looking at the book now and it covers rack pulls, box squats, front squats, close grip bench, incline/decline bench, romanian deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, deadlifts from blocks, goodmornings, push press, chinups/pullups, dips, barbell row, Glute Ham exercises, and he even has curls in there too.

wersal gummage

thanks Token,

that sounds pretty good alright.

Unfortunately, like arnie's book, availability doesn't seem to be great on amazon - expensive second hand books or, in arnie's case, the earlier edition of the book rather than the updated one....

d'Oracle

token wrote: »

and he even has curls in there too.

In a section that starts with the phrase

"Since you're going to do them anyway...."

Lantus

Keys the inner universe by Bill pearl is meant to be another great book. Hard to come by though.

Have arnies book and it's great. great resource.

token

I got my copies from http://www.aasgaardco.com

token

d'Oracle wrote: »

In a section that starts with the phrase

"Since you're going to do them anyway...."

Seems pretty tranquil there after reading his forums for awhile

Banks

wersal gummage wrote: »

has anybody heard of, or better still, read Strength Training Anatomy by Frederick Delavier - it seems to get great reviews on Amazon ???

Yeah I have this book, Its more of a pictorial guide to what muscles move what during individual exercises. Great for a beginner/intermediate. Got mine in Hodges & Figgis, Dawson street.

Transform

Banks wrote: »

Yeah I have this book, Its more of a pictorial guide to what muscles move what during individual exercises. Great for a beginner/intermediate. Got mine in Hodges & Figgis, Dawson street.

anything by stewart mcrobert, Dan John, Brooks Kubik, alwyn cosgrove etc

I really do not enjoy the bodybuilding books (which may have good info but there are better choices).

Banks

Transform wrote: »

anything by stewart mcrobert, Dan John, Brooks Kubik, alwyn cosgrove etc

I really do not enjoy the bodybuilding books (which may have good info but there are better choices).

Not too sure about the above authors but they have quite a good section on the 1st floor! Have searched most book stores and they are the best IMO! Don't like the bodybuilding stuff myself...... but I won't go there!!!!!!

Transform

Banks wrote: »

Not too sure about the above authors but they have quite a good section on the 1st floor! Have searched most book stores and they are the best IMO! Don't like the bodybuilding stuff myself...... but I won't go there!!!!!!

just go online and get them as most book shops will not stock them

I would add a nutrition book into that mix also - really liked Mark Sissons Primal Nutrition which was the most recent one I read

wersal gummage

Transform,

Would any of your recommended authors books have an encyclopedia type layout with an explanation of all the key exercises ?? I've often seen you, for example, recommend people perform X, Y and Z exercises and I often dont know what they are (I also dont know the correct name for all the exercises I even do
myself).

Thanks.

SanoVitae

Never Let Go by Dan John is a great read.

rocky

wersal gummage wrote: »

Transform,

Would any of your recommended authors books have an encyclopedia type layout with an explanation of all the key exercises ?? I've often seen you, for example, recommend people perform X, Y and Z exercises and I often dont know what they are (I also dont know the correct name for all the exercises I even do
myself).

Thanks.

Internet is where it's at.

Try www.exrx.net,

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html for a list of exercises for all muscles

Transform

rocky wrote: »

Internet is where it's at.

Try www.exrx.net,

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html for a list of exercises for all muscles

exactly - just ask what you are unsure of or just book a session with a trainer as books can only teach you so much.

Hanley

Huge and Freaky is actually meant to be really good.

Seen it recommended in a few places now.

BossArky

The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition by Anita Bean is pretty good if you want nutritional info to complement the weight training books.

wersal gummage

Hanley wrote: »

Huge and Freaky is actually meant to be really good.

Seen it recommended in a few places now.

i'm just not gonna stick that into google