Athletics Books

This books provides a good knowledge base for Personal Trainers. However, if you don't already know this stuff and you are a Personal Trainer already, you should feel stupid. I use it as a reference or a refresher when I forget things. Buy it if you want good general knowledge.

Just the book I was looking for! This book took a lot of what I learned in four years of college, and put it into 21 concise chapters. The perfect review for anyone with a fitness background, or a great guide for anyone looking to get started in the field. Scientific information in an easy to comprehend text.

This is one of the very best books on exercise and fitness I have read. It takes the very latest scientific research in exercise physiology and makes it easy to read and easy to understand. You would be hard pressed to find a more useful resource for trainers, coaches, or anyone interested in the hows and whys of fitness.

This book is very straight forward and easy to understand. I used this book as an adjunct to a completely different Text Book for my Personal Trainer Certification course. The text book at times had been difficult to follow. However, I purchased this book and it helped me to bridge the gap between some of the concepts that I needed help with, as I was studying on my own. I am new to the Fitness Industry and I wanted to really "get the idea" on how to design a Program for clients. This book does exactly what it says it does: Creates a Bridge between Theory into Application. You can learn the concepts and guidelines, but bridging these components into application was difficult and vague for me. I need to know the "how to's" and the "how come" behind the answers. If you are discerning and have to understand the mechanics behind the answer, this book is what you need. I am a self taught person. I have a drive to teach myself what I can from books. And if material is not very well presented, I will find the resource that helps me. This book is the resource that was my best study companion for my Personal Trainer Certification Exam.

I will put it this way, The Personal Trainer Text book "Talks -AT- You." Douglas Brooks: Program Design for Personal Trainers, book: "Speaks -TO- You." If you don't already know the concepts presented in this book, then congratulations for taking the initiative to enhance your working knowledge. This book is for you.

Since I am new to the Personal Fitness Trainer Industry, I am so grateful to the author for sharing his years of fruitful experience with us into presenting what works best. I was feeling a bit frustrated while I was studying for my Personal Trainer Certification course. I said, Okay. These are the guidelines... but "HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT IT ALL?" I wanted to learn how "bridge theory into application." So, when I came across this book, I bought it. And then... everything had started to -come together-! I did absolutely great on my written exam. And I say, I owe a lot of my "working knowledge" and successful time taking my written exam to the author of this book. If you are like me, and want to really understand the mechanics behind the guidelines this is the resource for you.

There is a lot to learn being a Personal Trainer, especially if you are new... like me. I'll say this. I paid a bit more for this book than what I could later find it for. I paid $60 for this book being a USED BOOK. And the clencher was that on the inside of the book, written in pencil was the price: $1.50. Argh! I paid $60 for what someone paid less than $2.00 for. I thought about this. And I will say this, this book is worth every cent I paid for & is worth more than it's weight in gold. Knowledge is power. And this is the book that will give me the cutting edge I need in this industry to get to where I want to be & learn to deliver the effective programs I want to know how to do. And not by blind application & rote, but yeilded by thought provoking awareness and complete "know how" vigilence.

When I am done reading this book, you can be sure that I will buy his latest books. I am waiting for my Personal Trainer Certification exam results... but when you kicked butt on an exam: You Know It before you leave!

I really like this book. I TTC but I'm also a runner. I was very happy to know you can be pregnant and run at the same time. I thought running was a taboo for pregnant ladies. It shows you step by step by month on how to run, eat, etc. GREAT book!!

I picked up Running and Pregnancy before we even started trying to conceive so that I would be educated about my exercise choices once we achieved a pregnancy. I am pleased to say that this book is very realistic and doen-to-earth. They debunk some of the exercise myths (don't let your heart rate get above 140) and provide reasonable guidelines to active pregnant women. I am almost 16 weeks, still running strong and look forward to continuing to run through my pregnancy.

I found this book to be easy to read and full of advice based on the latest studies. I enjoyed the book because it is the most comprehensive reference on current information about running and pregnancy I have found.

The book is written by a woman who has run with two pregnancies, and is full of stories from other women who have run with their pregnancies. It talks about their experiences, motivations, and suggestions/cautions. The book also provides material about how running and conception interact, diet, strengthening exercises, stretching, and the truth about aerobic exertion during pregnancy.

As a runner, I think the book is an excellent addition to my pregnancy book collection, and recommend it to all similar runners who are thinking about or have become pregnant.

This is a fun book that details briefly the changes that happen to your body during pregnancy and focuses on the runners body. The author had first hand experience of running throughout her pregnancy. The factual data is supported by 2 page case studies of women runners who had children. Some of them ran all the way through, some switched to cross training and some had to stop. There is a whole spectrum of experiences.

It is an inspirational and supportive book, and helped me get through my exercise on days when I did not feel like it. I also passed it on to my mother when she had issues about my exercise .I recommend it to any runner thinking about having a baby.

Wonderful read, got for a gift and he has loved reading all about the history, says it is very neat to learn where it all began!

Don't get misled by that nasty orange dustcover, this is a fun and rowdy read for both Sooner and Horn fans as well as for anyone who wants to get a taste of the most colorful sports rivalry in America. Shropshire's witty essays give insight into the culture of both locker rooms and include some stories that even diehard fans will not have heard. Don't read this book in bed--my wife finally got tired of being awakened by my laughter and took refuge in the guestroom. Two corrections for the author: 1)it was OU President George Lynn Cross, not President Bill Banowsky, who first told the regents that "he wanted to build a university that the football team could be proud of" and 2)it is the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry, not the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry.

As an OU Alumni, who "was there" at more Sooner Red River victories in the "Switzer and Stoops Eras" than covered in the book, my recommendation is that "Runnin with the Big Dogs" should be renamed "Fightin with the Gladiators"! Shropshire numerous attempts at home spun humor often fall incomplete(not up to par with Dan Rather and certainly not Will Rogers). The book has the same familar style of Texan "truthiness" to it that we're use to hearing from another Longhorn Fan who lives in the White House. The author is clearly biased toward the Longhorn side of the barbed wire fence (otherwise he would have mentioned Oklahoma's victory in a real "Red River War" in a long standing border dispute between Oklahoma and Texas in 1931 with Oklahoma National Guardsmen standing down the Texas Rangers). The one subject covered extensively that I enjoyed was on former OU Player Joe Don Looney. It brought back memories attending football games with my Dad in the early 60s when Looney was star halfback at the UCLA of the Southwest (University of Cameron Lawton Area).

Dallas, TEXAS, denizen Mike Shropshire, former drinkin' buddy of Joe Don Looney, claims to have written a balanced look at "the True, Unvarnished story of the Texas-Oklahoma Football wars." Bevo poop! Although the cover resembles a myopic blimpbasket view of the Cotton Bowl 50 yard line on gameday (1/2 crimson, ½ burnt orange,) the book starts with a long, lugubrious re-celebration of the 2005 Longhorn National Championship in Pasedena. Their first in 35 years. [Hoopla. Hoopla. yawn. yawn.] Shropshire forgets to mention that during this long Longhorn dry spell, the Sooners cruised the Sooner schooner to 4 more (1974, 1975, 1985, 2000.)
At times wallowing in egregious generalizations - like the hallucination that all Sooners were cheering FOR the Longhorns in the Rose Bowl (Dude! My favorite football teams are the Sooners, Da Bears, whoever is playing UT at the time and whoever is playing Oregon (Duckin' corrupt cheatin' - karma gotta get `em!) once the book settles into its purpose, it does live up to its titular hype. Shropshire's premise, supported with aplomb and humour, is that both program's goal is to beat the other in the annual contest - that they frequently happen to have to amass enough talent to beat everybody else in the country in the process is just gravy on the grits.
There are some photos in the middle - more would be better, and color (to see the beautiful crimson and cream) would be best. And it has an index - how else to locate the shy, quiet, blushing Boz?
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer, former annual Adolphus resident, Commerce & Cotton Bowl Survivor, urging everyone to watch TV's bright "Friday Night Lights" before the dullards at NBC prematurely end its season.

Get in shape for ski season with this guide to stretching. These easy exercises work well as a morning wake-up call.

This is a good book - a relatively inexpensive book to help know how to get in shape for skiing season. I also purchased Fitskiing (hardback) which is more exhaustive (and was more what I was looking for), but this book is worth the cost.

I'm a personal trainer working in a New York City gym and when a client of mine wanted some exercises for his favorite sport, I did a search and found this book. It has been excellent. All I needed to tailor a program for him, and even exercises he can do on the mountain in full gear. Clear, honest and effective. I highly recommend it.

It is well established that stretching improves agility and quickness of skiers. Resistance exercises strengthen the muscles, but they also shorten them. Stretching makes muscles longer again. This leads to flexibility (greater range of motion in the joints) which allows to get the most out of your training program and helps to ski longer, in better control, with less fatigue. Many books in the past emphasized primarily physical training during off-season period. In the last few years, flexibility and stretches got increasingly large attention. This book is entirely focused on stretches. It contains a well-illustrated 10-20 minute warm-up and stretching routine, and several additional excersises to improve balance. The exercises are very easy, and can be done, e.g., in the morning before work. They help to wake up and to feel better. Additionally, there is a section on warm-up and stretches recommended for the slopes before skiing (partly with the skis on), and a few exercises on skis to improve balance.

The authors emphasize that it is important to do these stretches every day since the result will be nil if you do them irregularly. However, it is not quite clear what kind of progress you can expect if you do them every day. While I appreciate the importance of stretches, I strongly suspect that the result may be rather insignificant if you do these routines every day, but nothing besides them. Stretches obviously work best when they are combined with more vigorous exercise program, such as strength training or aerobics. It is a pity that this book includes very few of those - if it did, it could be an indispensable source for pre-season conditioning. The good part, however, that practically all suggested exercises can be done at home on the floor or standing against the wall, with the equipment which can be purchased at a local harware store, or with no equipment at all.

The subtitle of the book (see the bottom of the book cover) is misleading as it says "flexibility, fitness, and conditioning for better skiing". Flexibility is definitely there, and is very well written; fitness and conditioning - sorry, guys, I did not see much of it in the book. Four stars.

Simple, easy to follow, this book outlines some great at-home workouts. I was especially impressed with the "chair" exercises, important for me at this moment since I have a broken foot.

I not only would recommend it to all, I will buy many copies and give them as gifts to friends I know need exercise that is easy and fun to do.

Great book. The illustrations are clear and easy to see, and they make sense for a beginner. It stresses the importance of stretching, warmup, and aerobics, but its focus is on strength. I recommend thin gloves for using the rubber bands.

I now own a lot of resistance training books of various sorts - using dumb-bells, or the thera-band. This book is unique, the only one I found using large rubber bands (I didn't even know such things existed). I had hesitated to buy this book because of the reviewers who said the rubber bands were harsh in thier hands. When I got the book and tried the exercises I found there was absolutely no discomfort from using the bands without gloves, that was a relief. In addition, I LOVE the exercises, they somehow get at muscles in a different way than other methods. The exercises are well explained and the photographs make it easy to see exactly how to do each one. This book is among my favorites. I did not want to use the order form for new bands at the back of the book because I was afraid prices might have gone up or something since the book was published, so I did a web search on SPRI Rubber Band and found a site called LeighCrews.com, or DynaLife (it's connected somehow) where you can buy rubber bands of different widths for more or less resistance. (Hint: if you buy 20 instead of 1, the price per unit goes down drastically.) Overall, this is a great book and a great method for getting in shape and staying in shape.

I got this book to extend my rubber resistance training. It's the only book on the topic I found at Amazon at the time. I was interested in the book but when it came and I saw the 2 small blue rubber bands attached, I was happy that it was an inclusive package. You didn't have to go out to buy the exercise equipment now that you had the book. I tried out much of the exercises and they do feel good. However, the rubber band feels harsh in my hand after a while and I have to do the exercises with my exercise gloves so I don't burn or chafe...

This weight training guide is full of great drills for volleyball players. Increase your jumping and endurance, and keep training with these programs in the off-season.

a really good book about weight training, with specific drills for volleyboll. I have already increased my jumping and endurance.

This book is straightforward, unlike Complete Conditioning for Volleyball. I know exactly when and how to work out.

The off and pre-season programs are very solid.

The only thing I wish it had in it is more agility and plyometrics programs.

I'm a multi sport athlete who trains all year round regardless of what sport I play. I bought a few of these Ultimate Guide to Weight Training books, and they definitely helped me train specifically for the different sports that I play. Then about a year later I received an email from amazon that there was a new edition out. These upgraded editions are even better than the originals, with more articles and a lot more sport-specific information. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who plays a lot of sports or wants to specifically focus on training for one sport in particular.

As an "outsider", Greg Emmanuel quickly grasped the dynamics of the long-lasting rivalry between Ohio State and The University of Michigan. While the history of the games' action through the years is quite thorough, his accurate comparison of universities represented by these two great football powers is very perceptive. Having graduated from both schools, I would agree with the comparisons. It's a good read.

An entertaining read about arguably the greatest rivalry in sports, and everything that went into the 100th game in 2003. The detailed appendix, notes, and index can settle most arguments and bets on what's happened over the course of the rivalry. A good holiday gift idea for any sports fan (and obviously any Ohio State or Michigan fan).

Emmanuel successfully weaves the story of the 100th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State -- the 2003 battle in Ann Arbor to decide the Big Ten championship -- into the century long history between these two perennial powers.

The narrative is compelling, and uncovers the historial reasons for the bitter rivalry between the two states and spends ample time on past classic meetings. It also gets into the not-so-subtle differences between the fans of the two schools, which is the real sustaining power for the rivalry today.

All in all, this is an excellent look at one of sports' greatest rivalries and would be a great addition to the book collection of alums or fans of either school, or just college football fans in general.

Although the title indicates that this book is useful only for the caregiver of an athlete that is incorrect. The emphasis on proper nutrition is something that all people should learn and practice and the advice on activities such as how to properly warm up, train and work out is applicable to all serious physical activity. Finally, the discussion of the value of athletic competitions in building social skills, responsibility, a sense of achievement and how to deal with failure is an additional positive aspect of the book.

Note: Branner is also the author of two others book with the titles "The Care and Feeding of a Soccer Player" and `The Care and Feeding of a Dancer." A lot of the text in those books is identical to this one, so if you buy one you for some practical purposes have the other two.

Toni Tickel Branner has three books out on the "Care & Feeding of ...". While there are differences in this book (the quotes and some non-soccer advice) a lot of the language is exactly the same. My first review was of her book for the soccer player. So, I don't think you need all three. Just pick the one that is most focused on what it is you do. Just as she has adapted her text, I have only slightly altered my review.

We all know that exercising our bodies is good for us. We also know that real life is full of competition and there is winning and losing in all that we do. Athletics lets us exercise, have fun, and learn about competition when the stakes seem big, but are usually small. Organized sports consume more and more time in the life of many American children and young adults. As the author notes, "you learn to push yourself to your fullest potential, learn to take criticism as a compliment, and learn to gain confidence from each experience."

The author takes a responsible approach to fitness, nutrition, and competing to enhance your child's life, not consume it. Besides her own experience as an exercise physiologist, she has a board of medical and exercise experts who, I assume, looked over this material.

She also realizes that kids play sports differently and have different skill requirements according to age or grade level. Her advice for playing, learning skills, and warming up take all this in mind. I particularly like her discussion of common injury types and what you can do to prevent them. She also discusses the mental and emotional aspects of the game, including handling stress. Her food advice is quite good; if a bit too vegetarian for my tastes, but nothing here will be anything but good for you. She also deals with body image and distorted eating.

The author also guides you through getting the most from sports camp, how to be good sideline parents, and what to think about to become a successful and happy sports family. She also has a chapter on life lessons that can be learned from sports.

Good stuff.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Too many kids and parents are pushing themselves to hard on and off the field. Branner teaches kids and parents how to take care of the young athlete and make sure they are around and healthy for those all important college years. Fantastic nutritional advice maximizes health and shows the importance of water, anti-oxidants and proper eating as a vital part of a young athletes road to collegiate or professional sports success.

The premise of the book is that winning is not a bad thing. It's not necessarily the only thing however. Thompson uses real life examples from youth through professional, where focusing on the positive, correcting the negative, and focus on improving have helped teams be successful.

It is our job as youth coaches to make sure we are building solid citizens, teaching them life lessons through sports, and helping them become the best athlete they can be. Winning happens to be a great side effect of this approach!

The book is great for coaches and parents alike!

Discussions of character in sports hinge on two sometimes competing beliefs. One holds that sports build character, the other that sports reveal it.

The case can be made that both ideas are valid. Character is regularly revealed in the way that players, coaches, parents and leaders of youth sports organizations (YSOs) conduct themselves on and off the field.

The "Sports Builds Character" belief is a trickier proposition. Who is to question that sports provides a wonderful setting for the development of poise, confidence, determination, resilience, self-sacrifice, courage? The list goes on, and it is not a coincidence that a strong involvement in sports was the common feature of those who tried to take back the plane on 9/11. Yet every Positive Life Skill associated with sports has a counterpart that can be learned equally well. And often more easily. If you can learn fair play and sportsmanship, you can also learn to cheat. If you can learn about commitment, you can also learn to quit on yourself and your teammates. Accountability and accepting responsibility: making excuses. Again, the list goes on.

Many of the adults involved in sports simply assume, based on their own experience, that the positive side of these character traits will emerge. In fact, without a concerted effort to use sports to teach positive Life Lessons, you might as well be flipping a coin.

Attention to these issues is a major focus of "The Double Goal Coach", the latest book by Jim Thompson. The author is founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance ..., an organization based at Stanford University which seeks "to transform the culture of youth sports so that sports can transform youth."

Like many books on the state of youth sports, Thompson chronicles the excesses. What sets the book apart are solutions to these problems based on research in the fields of education and sports psychology as well as lessons in organizational culture drawn from the business world. Theory then becomes practice through the presentation of many practical tools for establishing and maintaining a positive culture for youth sports. Coaches, parents and the leaders of YSO's will find things here that can be put to immediate use.

What is a Double Goal Coach? He or she is a coach who wants to win. Thompson makes clear that the Positive Coaching message is not anti-competitive or about "happy talk". This is not an invitation to go out and kick a ball around with Barney. Indeed, at a time when real competitions at Field Day have been reduced to (at most) a 50 yard dash, Thompson sees the competitive sports experience as an increasingly important, and rare, opportunity for the development of positive character traits - the second, and more important, goal of the Double Goal Coach. Because it's the character traits that will endure long after the ball's gone into the closet.

There are three elements to Double Goal Coaching. The first seeks to redefine winning, changing the definition from one based only on results (the "win at all costs" model, or waac - which so often becomes wacko!) to a "mastery approach" based on effort, learning, and a positive view of the value of mistakes. The essential difference in the approaches has to do with control. Results are so much in the control of others; with a mastery approach, control belongs to the athlete. What's interesting, though, is the research that shows that a mastery approach actually produces better performance than one where the focus is primarily on the scoreboard.

Next comes the concept of Honoring the Game. This is largely a proactive view of sportsmanship issues, based on what you do rather than what you don't do. Honoring the game involves developing and demonstrating respect for Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and one's Self (ROOTS).

The third element of the Double Goal model involves "Filling the Emotional Tank", motivation through encouragement and positive reinforcement. Again, the book provides a number of useful tools for coaches.

There is also a section of the book for Sports Parents. Thompson promotes the notion of the "Second Goal Parent", whose primary task is to be unconditionally supportive of their child, whose focus is on those Life Lessons and positive character traits, who recognize that their child's participation in sports belongs to the child, and who leave coaching to the coaches.

Thompson advocates a "systems approach" to developing positive cultures for youth sports, and his organization provides an integrated set of workshops for coaches, parents and leaders of YSOs. Where that's not in place, "The Double Goal Coach" will give the individual coach many ways create a more enjoyable environment for his or her team, and one where the players are much more likely to reach their potential as athletes. That a Double Goal approach will also be much more enjoyable and rewarding for the coach is no insignificant bonus.

This book covers some of the same topics as Thompson's classic, Positive Coaching. However, it has some new ideas in it, and also has some lessons learned since Positive Coaching was written. It also has a handbook-type approach - it gives you example talks, helps you plan a practice and also shows you ways to help you acquire Positive Coaching skills. I have found all of Jim Thompson's books enjoyable and enlightening.

I bought this book being told it would be great even if I wasn't a sports fan. I am told Jim is very funny. After reading this book I realize both are true.
I am not much of a sports fan, but his writing is very engaging and entertaing in the same way Anthony Bourdaine(Kitchen Confidential) and David Searis(Me Talk Pretty One Day) are. He is also the same type of as humor as they are more akin to Bourdaine than Sedaris. I must admit to laughing out loud through every section of the book.
As for not being a sports fan he does a great job at bring you to the experience with his observatioons and gives the reader enough backgroud to get a good sense of the "experience". He keeps himself relatable to both sports fans and non sports fans alike with a great balance of passion and knowledge.
From his time with the people he meets in Daytona to the craziness of the Superbowl it seems he finds somthing that goes beyond just sports. He manages to find and look for a sort of good quality and in fans that is more human and less alienating than I would expect. He is introspective enough really breath in the experience. It's the perfect summer read and just in time for Fathers Day
(My dad is a sports fan)....I could recomend this to just about anyone!

Jim Gorant really knows his stuff. If you love sports and could use a good laugh, don't hesitate to pick up this book and devour it from cover to cover. Bravo to Mr. Gorant for getting out there and giving us the real feelings behind these events.

Jim has a great way of showing how people share their love of sport. Fantastic story-teller, very humorous and laugh-out-loud.
-"Ian"