Five Fitness Books for a Solid Foundation
There are a million diet and exercise books on the market. Gimmicks abound! Who should you listen to? Here’s five books that cover stretching, motivation, cardio training, weight training and nutrition. They are best selling books by credible authors.
Stretching by Bob Anderson
This book is considered a classic. First published in 1980, it has taught generations how to stretch. The book provides specific stretching routines for a variety of people including athletes, children, travelers, and people with physical challenges. The 30th anniversary edition includes a section on office exercises for those at work. If you want to learn more about stretching, this is the book.
No Sweat by Michelle Segar, PH. D
We know we should exercise but we often lack the motivation to do it. “No Sweat” is based on years of research on exercise and motivation and presents a simple four-point program to help you break the exercise failure cycle once and for all. It explains how to make changes when changing is tough. It’s a must read for anyone who misses more workouts than they should or simply can’t get into the exercise habit.
Cardiovascular Training for Fitness by Andy Wadsworth
Another fitness classic, “Cardiovascular Training for Fitness” provides real world information about how to take regular cardiovascular exercise and strengthen your muscles and build bone density. Andy Wadsworth provides a practical and easy-to-use guide on cardiovascular fitness. There are chapters for getting started, cardiovascular exercises, avoiding injuries and basic workouts to improve core stability.
Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
“Starting Strength” is the essential book for barbell training. It breaks down the techniques for the basic lifts such as the squat, bench press and overhead press. It gives you the fundamentals you need for all weight training applications. It’s been a best-selling book for years. It contains technical information such as anatomy and biomechanics if you like that sort of thing. If not, you can skip through and get to the techniques. Learn weight training from this book!
Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
Gary Taubes gives us a fundamental truth about our nutrition. The key to good nutrition is the kind of calories we put in our body more than how many calories we put ingest. The book sets the record straight on a lot of the misconceptions and myths we have about our nutrition. It’s not just eat less and exercise more. We need quality in our diet. “Good Calories Bad Calories” is a solid source of information about eating for health and fitness.