Athletics Books

Bought it to prepare for the US Sr. Nationals in taekwondo, although it applies to athletes in many disciplines. An eye opener. I was still running miles, using the stairmaster, etc. Have done this since wresting in high school in the mid 80's.

Jason clearly explains a much more effective and rational training protocol, and also covers topics like making weight, diet, and stretching. A great value, clearly written, with lots of practical and specific, detailed advice.

I purchased this book because I liked the previous writings of Jason so much. A few years ago, I read his book "Tap Out" and since then I modified my training with excelent results.

I was very excited when this "new book" arrived and was expecting to move to even more advanced traininglevels.

It turns out than the new book is the exact same text as the previous one I got a few years back.

So, for the trainingprogram itself, I still give 5 stars. However, buying a book I already have was very disappointing.

Fit to Fight by Jason Ferruggia is an excellent book with tons of great training advice for anyone thinking about fighting MMA, or just trying to get into great shape. Some of the things I enjoyed most about this book were the diet and nutrition sections as well as the various training plans and versatile exercises that can be customized to any program for beginners to expert. This book was also a very quick read which made it that much more enjoyable.

I'd take the reviews for this book with a BIG grain of salt. Jason Ferruggia is one of a cadre of online strength training "experts" (typically self-taught amateur personal trainers) who are very adept at marketing themselves and each other. The "reviews" for this book have a very suspicious sameness to them in terms of both content and tone ("Jason has outdone himself!)". I'm not endorsing or rejecting the book itself. Just warning the unwary reader think twice about purchasing it based on the reviews posted here.

This is a good book, with some good ideas as far as different workout ideas. My review is simple and to the point. My biggest complaint is that the author offers little to back up what he says. Most of his arguments are based on the "trust me I'm a pro" concept. Which is great for picking up pointers but not so good when trying to compare this book to others. For example their is a whole chapter devoted to what supplements work and which ones are bogus. However, he never gives any real reasons as to why the supplement s that are no good are so bad. Overall I would say this is a nice book to have but there are others which are far better.

To many fans of college basketball, the ACC can be defined most seasons by what happens within the confines of the state of North Carolina. With four teams growing up within 50 miles of each other, and each one featuring a host of truly unique and competitive individuals as their coaches, the North Carolina teams have continually dominated the scene in college basketball for the past 50 years.

The book follows the story of Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest from their days in the Southern Conference to the formation of the ACC, right up until today. Each era is defined by the men who coached and played for each of these teams throughout the years. The book provides an excellent history lesson on what has become the center of power in the most competitive conference in college basketball.

I have been a fan of ACC basketball for the last ten years and this book helped me to learn the history of the most storied teams within the league. If you are a fan of NCAA basketball, this is an excellent book and should be highly recommended.

Four Corners is a thorough history of basketball in North Carolina--a very interesting subject for basketball fans everywhere (it is home to more dominant programs than any other state in the country)--but unfortunately Menzer's book is like the four corners defense in that it really slows things down. He is not a particularly good writer and his anecdotes often fall flat because he does a poor job of explaining the story. Another problem is that he relies on very few sources, so his book is terribly biased and its stories are limited. For instance, Menzer relies on Billy Packer to essentially tell Wake Forest's story. While Packer is amusing, he is arrogant and is only one person so Wake's history is not three dimensional at all and really doesn't seem particularly interesting. Despite these flaws, which would prevent me from recommending this book to anyone who doesn't love college basketball and particularly the Carolina schools, this book is a good companion for a fan and will give them some interesting historical context that will allow them to appreciate their team that much more. Also, it will provide some nice trivia for those who like to bring up obscure facts during arguments about who is the best player, team, coach, etc. in the history of these programs.

Borrowed this from the library and brought it back late because I read it twice. I am planning to get it again and read it again. I have grown up with ACC basketball, but I never had the whole historical context laid out for me. This book does that. It is well written (thank you, but I understand "Duke continued their run" just fine) informative, chatty, and obviously written by someone who loves, lives, and breathes his subject matter.

Four Corners by Joe Menzer is an outstanding review of the modern era of college basketball in North Carolina. It is a must-read for the Carolina hoops fan and a good selection for any college basketball aficionado.

The wit and insight of Four Corners puts Menzer on a path trod by the likes of Frank DeFord and other greats of sports journalism. His style is well-structured and clean, without dips into slang and minutia that too often mar sports writing.

Four Corners is definitely Five Stars. Joe Menzer wins this year's "Sixth Man Award" for North Carolina college basketball.

I have started my summer reading and so thoroughly enjoyed Menzer's Four Corners. I played womens's basketball and have always enjoyed the game. I never really understood the ACC rivalry. Thanks to Menzer's book, I do now. I so enjoyed this. A must read!

this book is really, really great. A lot of the stretches are common, theres not a lot of new ones, just with little twists and new techniques. The real jem is assisted vs unassisted stretching, dynamic vs static and combining. balancing you strong and weak muscles. You'd never think you could sweat from stretcing. it gives great advice for athletes such as soccer players have strong calves and weak shins, so emphasixing shins is more important (lifting toes and holding it). I would highly recommend it.

There are no new ideas or stretches here. Although doing these stretches regularly will work - I was looking for something a little more groundbreaking.

This is a pretty good book with tons of static and dynamic stretches for all muscle groups. It also contains several different stretching "routines" at the end of the book, which appear valuable.

The content is basic, but thorough, and I learned at least a few new stretches, which is why I bought the book.

My only complaint is that lots of the directions seem to be pretty vague and cryptic.

Pretty solid book.

I'm middle aged and was ordered by my doctor to exercise. I have to stretch to keep my lower back and shoulders and neck loose and to recover from aerobic exercise. The stretches in this book work to keep me flexible and loose. The descriptions are clear. I find the sets of stretches described in the last portion of the book useful: I do the 10-minute series after using the elliptical trainer and do the 20-minute series on my day off from aerobics. The book is inexpensive and you get very good value for the money.

Athletes stretch before and after exercise sessions in order to warm up their muscles, prevent injuries, and cool down after their exertions. Personal trainer and fitness educator Jay Blahnik blends the best of yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and sports training in Full-Body Flexibility to create "user friendly" stretching sequences that anyone can safely use for warm-ups and cool-downs, as well as during the course of performing challenging workouts on their own. Blahnik operates with three key stretching principles in mind: Variety (challenging muscles with multiple techniques to attain maximum flexibility); Strength (ensuring that muscles can support the body throughout the entire range of motion); and Balance (developing equal strength and flexibility in opposing muscle groups on both sides of the human body). Offering 10, 20, and 40 minute fitness routines; sport-specific sequences; and specialty stretch sequences, Full-Body Flexibility is an ideal and recommended introduction for even the most novice of beginners, while also holding much of value for even the more experienced athlete and fitness enthusiast.

Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer

This is one of the best sports books I have ever read. The author does an excellent job of presenting alternating points of view without bias. I really felt like I was there, on campus with the players and students and fans, captivated by everything going on in 1969. The book is entertaining throughout and even inspirational at times. It would make a great gift for a teenager or high school athlete with college in their near future.

I was seven years old when Texas and Arkansas met in their 1969 battle. While I remember little of the game, my father was a big college football fan and I do recall sitting down with him to watch it and seeing shots of President Nixon arriving at the game. As a typical seven year old, the game was all I cared about and I had virtually no appreciation for what our country was going through. The author does a great job of describing the social setting including war protests, the draft lottery and racial unrest (as reflected by a controversy surrounding the playing of "Dixie" by the University of Arkansas band). Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming is a great recipe mixing one part football and one part history to create a gourmet masterpiece. If you have any interest in football or American History you will enjoy this book. If you like both subjects, it surely will be one of the best you have ever read.

Frei has an amazing way with words. He has been able to paint a picture that with such clarity that I could almost smell the Fall air... This book falls into the category of books that makes you lose sleep as it becomes impossible to put down ("... I'll just read one more chapter... and THEN I'll turn off the light...")

Any football fan or anyone who is a student of the 60's will appreciate "Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming." If you're both, you'll be twice-blessed!

Mr. Frei, thank you for an exciting and well-painted story! Please continue to supply us with historically accurate sports-related stories.

P.S. I felt compelled to provide a review about this book after reading the one and only "yawn" review written about this book. I'm certain this review was provided by someone whom thinks he/she is an avid Denver sportsfan and didn't appreciate one of Frei's columns or something. I'm doubtful that "reviewer" ever opened the front cover to the book...

I was a grade schooler in Colorado when this game was played but I still remembered it when I saw the book. I grabbed a copy, and much to my wife's dismay, I couldn't put it down. Finished it off in a couple of days and have loaned it to several friends, each of whom has thoroughly enjoyed it! While I remember the game and the subsequent tragedy involving Freddie Steinmark, this book provided interesting background and history on the coaches, the teams, and the game as well as great insight into the changing socials conditions of the late 60s and the seeds of integration into Southwest Conference football. For those of you who are true college football fans, this is a MUST READ. But for those of you who aren't football fans, the surrounding social events will be of interest to you as well. I've heard the author has another book coming out shortly on the Wisconsin football team and the members of that team who ended up serving their country in World War II. I will be watching for its release and recommend that after finishing "Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming," you look for his new one. Mr Frei is a talented author!

Having spent 4 years as a manager for the Longhorns, I search out books on UT sports. Imagine my surprise in finding one with my picture (in the team photo) on the back of the dust jacket! Seriously, a well-researched, well-written book. How do I know? For starters, I was there at some of those conversations, both as an observer & participant. Many of the incidents Frei describes brought back many memories. I knew the Texas players & coaches very, very well. Some of them I still see on occasion.

I particularly enjoyed Frei's delving into more than just the game itself. For those of us in college during the late 60's, it was a tumultuous time. Sports often was a "safety-valve release" for the on-campus tensions that raged around us. Gathering in stadiums across the country was one way of forgetting about the social unrest threatening to tear our country apart. Frei made all of those memories come alive.

I commend Terry Frei for his book. Sure, he could have gone for pumped-up sales by getting into the "dirt" (& every sport has it!), but instead he chose to do a more serious work. I congratulate him for that. The book both gets across the intensity of the game - & of the rivalry between UA & UT - & its connection with the times. I heartily recommend "HHNC" to all sports fans. It will be enjoyed by all who love college athletics, especially football.

".....Science and Practice of Strength Training is an OUTSTANDING REFERENCE AND TEXT that not only presents the scientific principles behind strength training, but also provides practical recommendations for optimizing muscular strength and development....."
[from the book of the back cover]

I am very satisfied with this book.It's very interesting scientific strength book who attempts to join scientific strength approach with one side and practice on the other side.Book is very influenced from work dr.Zatsiorsky with weightlifters and throwers in former Soviet Union but I am also interested in non linear periodization from dr.Kraemer.
Many thanks to autors

As the name implies, this book is a scientific analysis of the practice of strength training. Rather than the typical myths advocated by publications such as Men's Health and other popular sources for training information, this book provides the scientific foundations for strength training. It helps cut through the many myths surrounding strength training and provides in depth scientific analysis by one of the world's leading biomechanists, kinesiologists, and strength training experts. Zatsiorsky has influenced the weightlifting, powerlifting, strong man, and sports training worlds as well as academia. He describes theories as well as methods. This book belongs on the shelf of any serious student, professor, coach, or athlete. I, myself, am a tennis player and have benefitted greatly from this book. Clearly one for the ages, this book is excellent. Worth at least 100$.

I read this book upon the recommendation of Louie Simmons from one of his
[...] articles. I can safely say that this is one of the best books out there. It contains legitimate research and case studies of ELITE world class athletes. You won't find a perfect program here, because no such thing exists... Rather, you will find principles that you can employ to your training and research results based on other world class athletes (most notably Olympic weightlifters).

Best part of all, the text isn't infested with bodybuilding magazine type advice that distorts many trainees philosophy. The bottom line is that 3 sets of 8-12, pre-exhaustion and pyramid sets among other techniques are flawed and ineffective for elite strength athletes and Olympic athletes.

A great book on strength training for beginners and veterans alike. You don't need to be an exercise physiologist to understand it and yet the information is complete and extremely helpful for athletes and coaches at all levels

This book should be required reading in all high school classes. It is
a testament to the courage of the writer and his team of athletes.
Their acceptance of a coach who had the courage to come out to his team and the community is inspiring and these young athletes show they are far more mature and understanding than the school administration.


This is an well written, absorbing story which I found hard to put down.
I have purchased about 10 copies to give to young people that I know.

I am no fan of athletics or stories about same, but I found Eric Anderson's book an engaging memoir. He keeps the whining down to a minimum and provides instead a truly inspirational piece about an individual who would just not give up on attaining his goals, no matter what obstacles were strewn in his way. Sometimes I found myself skeptical at how easily and immediately accepting his friends, family, colleagues and students were of his homosexuality, but I am inclined to give Anderson the benefit of the doubt. He strikes me as an honest man. His life could certainly serve as some sort of model for young folks of all and any persuasions or predilections: perseverence is the key to success; hard work is unavoidable.

I would liked more about Eric's personal life, but perhaps that would have thrown the book out of focus, because TRAILBLAZING is as much about the talented young runners as it is their hard-headed, hard-working young coach. And if we are lucky, Anderson might even be penning a sequel that gives us further details about his life and loves. Let's hope.

I am usually loathe to read biographies of individuals under the age of 40. As Benvenuto Cellini once wrote:

"All men. . . who have done anything of excellence, or which may properly resemble excellence, ought, if they are persons of truth and honesty, to describe their life with their own hand; but they ought not to attempt so fine an enterprise till they have passed the age of forty."

Coach Eric "Gumby" Anderson, however, is an exception to this admonition against youthful indulgence. While he glosses over the more personal aspects of his life, like coming out to a gay-friendly mother, his professional struggle to coach track at the high school level is more than worthy of book-length treatment.

Coach Gumby lives in less than an accommodating part of California (Orange County), though it is still probably more "socially progressive" than most other areas of the nation. He demonstrates that a steadfast commitment to pursue one's life calling -- the unyielding exercise of individual volition -- can overcome those orthodox cultural hurdles rooted in misinformation, fear, and the anti-social desire to exert power over other persons.

All persons - gay or straight - who yearn for a civic community where individuals are judged according to their unique merits and talents, as opposed to their "identity," shall find a superlative instructor in Coach Gumby. There is still much work to be done, and his story shows that genuine progress comes from courageous acts of individual initiative and persistence.

The human quest for freedom against the incursion of others' belligerence pertains to all, regardless of sexual orientation. I know that I am a much richer person for having read "Trailblazing," and I strongly encourage all parties to learn from, and empathize with, Coach Gumby's successes and failures (many of which were the product of others' shortcomings).

Eric Anderson's book gives us a powerful and up-close look at sports in society and the importance of teamwork. Combining a rigorous account of the fast-paced high school distance races he coached to victory with a compelling and shocking journey, Anderson clearly illustrates homophobia is still very much present in our culture and that sport, when abused, reinforces and perpetuates discrimination and male dominance. His powerful journey urges us to form new perspectives on sport, the system that creates and manages it, and the ludicrous racist, sexist and homophobic beliefs which plague our society today. This book is truly a gem--a must read for every high school and college student and for anyone interested in sports, sociology or humanity.

I currently have a class with Gumby (Soc of Sport @ UCI), and reading this book was one of the requirements. However, it wasn't just another class textbook--in addition to being educational, it was extremely inspiring. I have not been exposed to many gays or lesbians (maybe a few lesbians and bisexuals here and there, but I was never close to them), in fact, I have been exposed to more conservative, anti-homosexual, and heterosexist views for most of my life, so many of the things Gumby brought up in his book were new to me. For instance, I never really thought about how hard it must be not just for a person to come "out of the closet" but how it would affect his close ones. Though I'm not close to Gumby, I learned a little more about how and why he thinks certain ways, mainly due to his treatment and experiences before and after "coming out". In addition to learning about issues on homosexuality, heterosexism, and how hegemonic masculinity can be, I learned more about how these issues are dealt with in the school administrative and sports arena through Gumby's experience. If you are interested in these sociological issues, or just want inspirational/motivational support in coming out as a homosexual, then READ THIS BOOK! It has definitely changed my view on homosexuality forever.

I enjoyed how he would explain a concept then relate it to the business world, and finally give an example of how the concept helped on the court.

I have enjoyed this book and have given it to friends and family on several occasions. This is not a book about basketball, but uses the sport to illustrate leadership priniples. Each chapter discusses a leadership concept and is broken into three parts- Coach Smith's insight, a player discussing how the concept affected him, and a business angle. This is easily in the top five books written about leadership!

This book is more than your typical sports book. Sure, it's filled with stories about games, seasons, and individual players. Each chapter starts out with Coach Smith explaining a particular aspect of his coaching methodology. A Player's Perspective follows outlining how the particular aspect and Dr. Bell relates the aspect to the modern workplace. This book is all about building teams.

The Carolina Way can be summed up by these words: Play Hard; Play Together; Play Smart. For example, Coach Smith talks about recruiting players that will fit into his system. Dr. Bell then takes those ideas one step further and relates the recruiting to hiring workers. Another example is Dean Smith held regular one-on-one meetings with each of his players to discover their goals in life as well as basketball. Dr. Bell then outlines how you can pattern employee reviews around these same principals.

I personally got a lot out of this book and plan on implementing some of the strategies in my own team.

Dean Smith is without a doubt one of the best college basketball coaches in the history of the NCAA. I think the win total speaks for itself, and in this book he tells just how he has made it to that milestone. He gives details on his philosophy and past players weigh in on Smith's coaching. This is good for any young coaches out there, or just basketball fans in general. This book is a must have for anyone that loves basketball.

Dean Smith's book The Tarheel Way was a great read. This book is for kids 12 and up. Unlike many sports books it relates sports to the real world. Dean Smith and his co-writers do a great job of that.

Dean Smith's book talks about the way he ran his basketball team. Dean Smith was all about life lessons and how basketball related to the real world. He does a great job of explaining the recruiting process in his book. He also talks about players leaving early for the NBA and he is ok with that because it gives them financial security for life. He also emphasizes how basketball gives students life lessons that they can carry on in life, or in there work place. Dean Smith had a great understanding of the game of basketball and in life in general. In his book, it is forwarded by people like Roy Williams who have nothing but great respect for him as a coach, and is a person. If you are interested in how a college basketball team is run, Dean Smith's The Tarheel Way is a must read for you.

A historical, enlightening, and sweet rendition of what basketball can do to the spirit of individuals, families, and a small town, this one in Kentucky.

Great book. My great uncle is Howard Crittenden and my second cousin is Jimmy Webb. I just saw Uncle Howard on Saturday and he looks great. I got pictures of him at our family reunion.

The author, a junior college professoress, is a good writer, but her knowledge of basketball, and the absence of a proof reader, makes this otherwise neat book sometimes excruciating. The faux pas range from some gratuitious editorializing to innocent, perhaps, but nevertheless excruciating misobservations, e.g., e., she thinks that a basketball backboard, sometimes bankboard, or the area of the net, basket, or goal, is properly described as "goalposts." Her efforts to be adjectivially writerish are sometimes downright absurd, i.e., Doodle Floyd's shooting "lighting" up the scoreboard with "windmill" hookshots from all parts of the floor. Nonsense, he may have shot them from all around what used to be shaped as a key, but not all over the floor, for crying out loud ! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeesh -- betcha none of them were from behind the ten second line! In numerous little ways the authoress gnashes a minimally knowledable person of era basketball. e.g., at the time the ball could be taken out rather than a freeshot taken when a foul was committed, at least in, I think it was the last two minutes of a game or half. In a game in which Cuba was behind, the author seems surprised that the opponents took the ball out of bounds rather than shoot free throws when fouled. Of course they did ! The reason they were fouled was to obtain a turnover. If the team fouled missed a free throw there was a chance for a turnover. A team ahead likely would be interested in freezing the ball. Of course, for crying out loud, they would take the ball out of bounds rather than shoot a free shot. Several times the authoress comments on players shooting a "jump shot". No, not likely. They may not have shoved it up two handed from the waist or chest, and they may have shot running one hand shots, or one hand set shots, maybe be from the waist, and maybe with a pumping motion, but if she thinks they were shooting "jump" shots in the form of modern jump shots, that notion is almost as erroneous as that of players posting themselves under the "goalposts". Describing the Cuba gym, she mentions a "box" office adjoining the coach's office. A what ? Was this an office for boxes ? It would hardly have been a press box one wouldn't think. And then there was a player who drove for lay up and missed although he "tossed" it up. And, a shot is a shot, not a throw, unless someone throws it instead of shooting it. I wonder if there are some films somewhere which show these boys of the mid-century as they were. playing as they did ? Or if the authoress has any idea of how the game looked then ? Aside from not knowing what game must have appeared like, the authoress has produced a neat book in which one can grasp the tenor of life as experienced by its participants. Yet, I hungered for more of the very genre of insights she provided, such as pictures, verbally and actual pictures, of the participants away from the court. I would like to have seen more of this, the front of Harper's, a picture of the ball court there, the community as it was. And I searched the pictures that were vainly trying to grasp the Cuba gym. And I wonder if they dressed in a dressing room with showers, or in a class room ? Did they have JV preliminary games ? Or junior high games ? They gym was suggested by the authoress to be under regulation dimensions. Personally, the smallest gym I ever seen (not saw) was a junior high gym at Flint in Morgan County Alabama, the ceiling was in play and was just a few feet higher than the top of the wooden backboard, the end boundaries were painted half on the court and half on the wall at one end and on the stage at the other, and at the stage end the out of bounds line actually went up the steps on one side. Basketball courts vary in width and length, but the foul line is always ten feet from the goal (not the "goalpost"). Courts vary in length and width. I don't think there was any such animal as an unoffical court. Nevertheless, the authoress has provided a good story and an absorbing read about a happy collection, a synchronicity of capable youths and a coach who both taught and allowed the ablity of these boys of the mid-century to flow out of them. A remarkable story.

This is an excellent, easy to read, true heart warming story that is a real inspiration. It is a classic, a book that every parent, teacher, coach and team player will enjoy and learn from.

Basketball was a passion in Kentucky & every highschool, no matter its size, organized a team to play game after game, traveling miles in all sorts of vehicles & weather. In Cuba, Kentucky, an isolated rural town around which three rivers poured & flooded, a group of rambunctious 8th grade boys became inspired by Coach Jack Story's dream of winning the 1952 state basketball championship & the American Dream.

To a lesser degree yet with as much passion, the girls in the school fought & conspired to form a cheer leading troupe. In their long skirts & neck high Peter Pan blouses, they added their energy to the fever pitch.

Marianne Walker has told their stories with enthusiasm including insights from a time before over-the-counter medicines; when most everyone raised their own food; many were share-croppers & there were no funded school programs; school bussing & television. In a time when radio was king, not everyone had telephones & sports writers were the revered messengers of the marathon games for which just about every person would turn out. Fascinating read! Do check out my full review.

I've read quite a few books on training. This one lays it all out simply and in a concise and easy to use manner. If you're a cyclist interested in racing, BUY THIS BOOK!

I am an anesthesiologist and avid cyclist. In the past I've used more traditional training programs to prepare for the racing season with good success ( winning or placing in our state USCF road race championship as well as success in local races as a 40+ and now 56 yo masters and/or cat 4/5 racer). This year I've tried the training program outlined by Dr. Ross in his book and I would give it a mixed review. My results this year have been decent, but I can't say they've been better than in past years.
First the positives. The book is well referenced and thus gives the impression that the principles outlined are based on well designed peer reviewed studies and papers published in respected medical and physiology journals. The efficiency of a program based almost exclusively on interval training is appealing. It certainly takes less time over the course of a week and suits my limited race schedule (only 4-5 races in the year) and work schedule. The intervals are always hard, but that's how you improve.
Now the negatives.
First, the most obvious drawback is that most athletes like to train with other athletes for cameraderie and motivation, and Ross's program of 4 days of intervals followed by 3 days off isn't something you can easily talk your bicycling buddies into. So you're on your own which decreases the fun and the competitive push that comes from "beating the other guy to the sprint point". Ross does mix (and recommends) "racing" into the 4 days of training later in the year, and I interpreted this to mean I could substitute a "hard group training ride" to keep from going nuts with only intervals.
Second, Ross includes weight training prior to the race season but then makes no mention of it. Most training programs recommend continuing with a maintenance weight program during the season. I think with this book you have to "fill in the blanks" a bit and modify the plan with some common sense such as continuing some maintenance weight training.
Third, I just can't take three days off in a row without training. I get cranky and my legs ache and twitch. I have also found that on the first day back after three days off my performance is definitely subpar (although the next day can be superlative). Thus (again this goes against Ross's ideas) I at least spin, do some weights, or walk around the lake with my wife.
In summary, (based on my personal experience only) if you're going to follow the program I think you need to use some commonsense and modify the schedule to fit your needs. Some previous experience with training programs would be helpful. I'm not sure this book is a good choice for someone just beginning on the bike.

Do you know what happens to your body when you're cycling? Find out the science behind the sport and important tips to improve your endurance.

This book is written by a US sports and emergency medicine physician who provides excellent physiological explanations as to what happens to the body in cycle training, and uses evidence to explain how to force these changes by targeted training in the shortest time.

For muscles, fitness for cycling comprises of increased mitochondria in each muscle cell (the cells 'batteries') and increasing the blood supply to the muscles by growing new blood vessels (angiogenesis) to optimise oxygen delivery and waste removal. A compelling argument as to why muscle fibres type IIa are optimal for cycling is given, and then ways in which to train so as to increase mitochondria, angiogenesis and performance of type IIa muscle fibres are provided, all referenced.

The author makes the point that traditional cycle training aims at volume of many hours riding to develop base endurance, then adding intensity and recovery. This is proven with many outstanding athletes having world championships and gold medals from it. This long slow miles approach is based on the then revolutionary training techniques of late Arthur Lydiard who produced a group of world champion middle-distance runners in the 50s and 60s. So why change a good thing? Citing referenced research, Ross contends, however, that long slow base miles can actually hinder performance by working only type I muscle fibres.

In essence what the book says is that to optimise performance intensity and recovery are the keys. This means hard work, intervals with maximal effort accompanied by recovery periods. Improved cycling performance is body adapting to vigorous exercise, and he defines how to optimise the adaptation. He contends that improving mitochondrial numbers in muscle is attained by starving the body of carbohydrate during a ride, and suggests riding for an hour on an empty stomach and taking a protein/carbohydrate meal with you to eat at one hour. Likewise starving the body of oxygen (anaerobic training) optimises new vessel growth (angiogenesis). An excellent chapter on determining lactate threshold and personalised heart zone targets is perhaps one of the best available in the current crop of training books. Other chapters include an excellent summary of flexibility and stretching techniques and the expected chapters on bike fit, workouts, nutrition and training plans

The book is referenced and sensible in approach. A must read for those serious about cycle training who want a sound scientific approach to maximising your time on the bike.

I am a family doctor who cycles. I don't know Dr Ross or have any financial interest in his work. No competing interests.

Okay, first of all, 90% of this book is just a rehash of Morris's better-written Performance Cycling. See my review of that for more specific criticisms than you're going to get below.

What seems to be happening here is that about every 2 years, some amateur coach looks at a few lab studies and cries "Eureka! High intensity training is more effective than low intensity training!" Then they write a book, which quickly goes out of print.

Ross basically wants to you to do a modified Conconi test to figure your Critical Power which he (and no one else) defines as the power you can sustain for somewhere between 50 seconds and two minutes, depending on who you are. Then he bases his whole philosophy on that rather arbitrary number. Essentially, you will have to do intervals at some percentage of that power output for 4 days in a row, then take 3 days off.

He seems to think that long endurance training reduces type1 fiber size and that this reduces your endurance. So in his world, training endurance makes your endurance worse. I think the actual theory is that the reduction in fiber size allows for more efficient oxygen diffusion, but why get bogged down in all that complexity? He also still seems to think that lactic acid causes muscle fatigue--an embarrassingly outdated notion. Of course, there is also no discussion of things like Intensity Factors and Training Stress Scores that have become so important with the advent of power meters.

The idea here is that coaches like Michele Ferrari and every pro endurance athlete on the planet are just wasting their time and that they'd be much better off reducing their total training volume to about 3-4 hours/week. Of course, neither he nor Morris seem to have ever actually coached a top athlete (for obvious reasons) so there is no real-world basis for this belief.

You should do a search on "Understanding Intervals Stephens" (I'd give you the U R L, but Amazon blanks them out) and read the article that comes up. While admittedly outdated and perhaps even a bit naive, it's probably a fundamentally correct explanation of why Ross/Morris are wrong.

If you really want to reach your potential, it's not going to be this easy. You're going to have to study Friel's book, buy a power meter with Cycling Peaks software, and put in a whole lot of time. I wish it weren't true, but if you're going to succeed in an endurance sport, you're gonna have to, well, work endurance...

I've read pretty much every book about Robert M. Knight and must say that Steve Alford's book is the best. He is honest in his opinions and praises and criticizes his old coach when he feels necessary. Better than the widely hailed "Season on the Brink," after reading this book you'll see that there truly is a method to Knight's madness and that he is truly a great man.

Steve Alford goes to Indiana University where he plays basketball for Coach Knight. He plays under Coach Knight for six years. During his six years with Coach Knight he has his ups and downs. An up is he wins a national title. A down is the war stories. The war stories are the strange ways Coach Knight gets you to understand his thinking. For instance he made two of the senior players plan how to get to the game. They had to bring all the equipment, get bus tickets, and make a starting lineup.

If you like books about basketball you should read this. One reason you should read this, is you can learn many valuable lessons. One is to try the hardest you possibly can in practice. My second reason is it's a tremendous read. I loved reading this book, because I love to play basketball. My final reason is if you play for Coach Knight in the near future you can learn what not to do, such as loafing around in a game. Which means: not hustling for loose balls, not rebounding, and not getting back on defense. These are the things that get you chewed out.

Unfortunately the media influences a lot of people to focus on the "perfectionist" Bob Knight.

That coach is the one who loses control when things don't go, in actuality, as he visualizes them in that steel trap he calls his mind.

History will, most probably, over-record those incidents he has exposed on television; and have been blown out of proportion in print. History will misplace the accomplishments of the greatest coach ever, as a coach and, most of all, as a behind the scenes parent. Not only a good father to his blood children but to those hundreds of "adopted children" who are his players, coaches and his coaches players.
The quiet coach has raised money for a myriad of purposes but has ALWAYS been there for his "kids". This is the coach that will leave a silent legacy that, not only has changed college basketball but has influenced, directly or indirectly, an untold number of our community leaders and teachers of our children.

Steve Alford is a perfect example of this. As is Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), Dan Dakich, Jim Crews and (maybe) Mike Davis.

Indiana basketball legend Steve Alford, describes what it was like playing for the General, Bob Knight. Alford shows us in the book the genius of Bob Knight. He also talks about the temper tantrums, mind games, and manipulations he and his teammates had to go through while playing for the General. In the book, he describes some of the war stories about coach Knight. Alford, talks about the brilliance of the General and how he made him become a better player and person.
This book was very inspiring to me. Not only did I learn that Steve Alford is from my hometown, I learned many more things about his family and his relationship with his coach. In the book, Alford talks many times about how hard he had to work to achieve all of his goals in life. All of the countless hours he spent on the court and how they paid off. If you are looking for an inspiring and motivational book, this is an excellent choice. I think all younger kids that are basketball players should read this book. It may have many goods tips for them. "Playing for Knight", would definitely teach them, how hard work can get you to the top. They may also learn more about life's little lessons. Knight had the willingness to sacrifice victory just to teach his players a larger lesson about work, pride, and honor. If your are thinking of reading a book, this a great story to start with.

Alford admits that he cleaned up Knight's language in this book. Bob Knight was famous for swearing up and down the court and all around, sometimes even when the camera and microphone were on. Alford probably also had some selective memory since being a professional in basketball who would eventually go on to be a coach, he didn't need Bob Knight as an enemy. Alford and some other players admitted as much when Knight was fired from Indiana a few years ago that they weren't always as honest about what went on as maybe they could have been. But that's understandable.

If you buy into the idea that sports is another kind of warfare, then Knight's style made sense. Think Bryant and the Junction Boys here. Knight did coach military before Indiana, too. But this story is not really a book about Bobby Knight. There are bunch of those. It concentrates just on that time when Alford was there, in the 80s, probably when Knight's power and prestige were at their greatest. Despite his size (Alford is on the short side to be a basketball player) he had skill and determination, and apparently the obedience that Knight wanted in a player.

Alford's daydream at the end will never come true, at least not in the way he sees it. He saw Knight still being at Indiana, and no one would have ever thought he could be toppled from there. He thought despite the drawbacks it would still be an excellent opportunity for his son, and he wouldn't hesitate to recommend playing for Knight. It was an experience.