Athletics Books

The message is all there in this book but finding it is a treasure hunt. There is some excellent advice, excellent exercises, and great information on how to progress. In order to put it together logically, I needed to create my own index and map to the information.

of great usefulness for riders of any level and discipline. The author discusses manege patterns that help achieving correct athletic development of your horse and help remedie faults such as crookedness. Too often, riders resort to use of equipment, such as draw reins, to control their horse. After reading this book, these people will realize that that is completely unneccessary and, moreover, is inhumane and has adverse effects. This book is more to the point than some of the other books by the same author.

With all the books on dressage out nowadays, this is one that emphasizes developing the horse with daily exercises that he explains and then shows in lots of photos. The instruction is good and really helpful to a dressage rider.

very disappointing book. The writing is poor, the book is disorganized, and consists primarily of repetitive statements about the author's philosophy on dressage. I wasn't able to read more than half the book before giving up in disgust.

At the risk of repeating what everyone says about every book that they like, you must be this book and digest it thoroughly if you are at all serious about dressage. I have nearly every training manual that has been published about dressage, but this book deals more with the theory of gymnastic training of the horse that is so vital if we are to understand why we do all the things that we do. It will also save you many hours of frustration and anguish as you are trying to perfect movements. I would write a proper epistle about more of the merits of this great book (get 'The Ethics and Passions of Dressage', too) but to tell you the truth, I'd just as soon get back to Chapter 10 right now!

I love listening to Frank Deford on NPR. He gets to the heart of the matter and uses such great vocabulary. I am not a sports fan but, as a High School teacher and Wife & Mother of 2 sports aficionados, I am interested in the History and modern day controversies that go on in sports, so I can periodically speak with some credibility with my constituents.

I bought this book for my 15 year old son, who had never heard of Deford, but is a fan of Rick O'Reilly. He loved this book and could not put it down. He has added Deford to his list of favorite writers.

For anyone who enjoys Deford's witty, literate commentaries on sports and society-or those who haven't had the pleasure of reading his work-this book is a great introduction!
I have to agree that Deford's best work is found in his longer magazine articles. His work for 'Sports Illustrated' alone could fill a few volumes, and the best pieces in this volume are those 'SI' stories already mentioned by other reviewers. Personally, I would have preferred more articles and fewer NPR essays. The shorter, 'intended for broadcast' commentaries are sort of a 'Reader's Digest Condensed' version of Deford's wit and wisdom-tantalizing glimpses that leave the reader wishing he had more room to elaborate!
I especially recommend "When There Were Still Elusive Barriers"(about Bannister and Hillary), and "Got to Do Some Coachin'" (the brilliant play that encapsulizes the turbulent personal life of Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson).

One of the more boring and ill-thought out books I have read this decade. Deford is somewhat of a moron, yet thinks he is the gift to planet earth. I would not recommend reading this at all. I can't believe I gobbled it up at a used book store.

Frank Deford is a brilliant writer, not to mention, probably the single greatest sports' writer on the planet. He just takes sports' writing to a higher level. The Best of Frank Deford will prove this.

This book showcases some of Deford's best work as a journalist. Although some of the articles are a little dated, his style and amazing use of language still shines. The pieces included in this book are easily some of the best writng available. Any inspiring journalist could learn a great deal from this collection of writings.

Deford never holds anything back, and he is never afraid to speak his mind. I personally enjoyed the in-depth look at Bobby Knight. But, there are many other treasures in this candid book.

Overall, this is an excellent book and quite a fast read. Deford's witty and extremely articulate writing style allows you to flow right through the book. This is a masterpiece of writing, and a true pleasure for any sports' fan. The Best of Frank Deford is simply the best.

Frank Deford is a most articulate, persuasive, engaging writer---perhaps the finest sports journalist writing today.

The collection of articles and commentaries contained in "I'm Just Getting Started" are from 1980 to 1999 and touch on every aspect of sports.

You get insight, irony, humor, commentary, entertainment, nostalgia and optimism as you turn the pages---all delivered in a most literate manner.

The essay on Bill Russell alone is worth the price of admission. "Frank Deford Goes Bowling" is an intriguing take on a subject seldom written up in sports pages.

Enjoyable for more than sports fans.

As a former teammate of Brads, I enjoyed reading of his antics and career moves in the sport. He writes well and conveys his message nicely. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Keep up the good work Brad!

A wild man!! The best years of my life were with Brad.

Well, one third of the book was written about his childhood, his junior life experience in high school and university which are .... nothing but common growing up experience to every one. Writing style is nothing exciting to write about.... 2 stars...

As with most books written by athletes, this book reeks of self-obsession. I had to put it down multiple times because I got so tired of reading about how good, smart, deserving, etc., he was. Contrary to many of the reviews on this site, it doesn't reveal anything particularly hilarious, stunning, or even that insightful. I'm not sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but on the whole it was quite a disappointment. Buy it used or make sure you can sell it to someone else for a few bucks.

Sick of being told how to do this or that? This book is for you. Brad tells hilarious stories of his training, racing and traveling. You'll find yourself laughing out loud. Brad is one of the true characters of the sporting world.

I thought the book as a whole was very good. My expectations are kind of high for books like these, since a lot of the physiological knowledge is out there and available to people already. A book like this has to go the extra mile to inform its readers well. There is a more updated version available but I've read through both and didn't feel like it was missing anything. Plus it's now going for very cheap!

The explanations of the science behind exercise were enlightening, I've read Clyde Soles' Training for Peak Performance and there was a lot of overlap on the concepts. Clyde gives better information on heart rates, but this book definitely has more information altogether, diving for pages and pages into nutrition, aerobic, anerobic, periodization, etc. The training plans are excellent goal-based programs, although some seem too aggressive w/ comparison to the activity. The authors are striving, however, to make sure they give the right advice, so they advocate a balanced workout to prevent chronic tightness and injuries from neglecting antagonist muscle groups and from lack of stretching. The information on warming up and treating one's weaknesses makes it worth buying the book. Since it's so inexpensive, if you don't know much about the fundamentals (as understood by current sports science) then get this book.

Love the book and it's advice but yes, it IS technical and there is alot to go through. Great for general guidelines and specific advice on particular sports and exercises. Plenty of stuff you can do at home if you don't have access to a gym. I'd recommend it to anyone in training!

This book is an excellent reference and strategy resource. There is tons of information ... almost overwhelming. You need to be able to sift through it to fit your goals. The books helps you to define and articulate your goals - this is a CRITICAL step if you want to get the most from this book. Without your goals, you will be overwhelmed with the wealth of information.

What do I mean? For example, this was my goal: To develop a SOLID fitness base (cardio, general strenght, lean-ness). Secondly, I want to also be able to perform successfully and effecitively on my bi-annual hikes to the White Mountains. Thirdly, I want to be in general shape for sports I like (basketball, mountain biking, and martial arts). Finally, I want to have a great build. Although this book does not talk about bodybuilding (you may need to supplement your knowledge with another book on bodybuilding), it implied that I can view bodybuilding as a "sports specific" goal. In other words, when summer is around the goal, this book showed me some ways to plan for this accordingly without sacrificing my general goals, at least from a planning perspective. Either you can wing it, or you can plan for it ... this book is great for the planning, and is very academic.

As a result, I have a plan to get in the best shape I've ever been in about 2-3 months (my Build Base Phase). By Feb/Mar of 2001, I will shift gears to get ready for my spring hike (My Sports Specific phase). When that's done, summer is near, so I'll start building some muscle and size for those hot, shirtless days (My 2nd Sports Specific phase). Again, as fall draws near, I will get back into hiking shape (Sports Specific phase), complete my excursion, and then repeat the cycle, as required, as needed (General Maintenance).

This book gave me practical ideas on how to plan for general fitness, sports specific performance, with a good degree of organization and rationale. But I had to definitely SIFT THROUGH IT ALL AND USE MY HEAD!

Some constructive criticism: I value the information on functional strength, i.e., although you can military press 100 lbs, that exercise does not directly "functionally" transfer to muscular performance needed to lift my bike onto the roof of my car. So, you must practice with more functionally specific exercises to get that performance. However, although many functional exercises are discussed, some of the descriptions don't explain the execution very well.

I would not recommend this to beginners ... it's like a reference guide for the experienced.

The book is clear and describes a lot of interesting exercises but doesn't translate into a realistic program.

For instance, in the chapter on "Backpacking, Hiking and Snowshoeing" you are supposed to work up to a routine of 23 exercises. Since most of these are for 2-3 sets of 12+ reps, if you take six seconds per rep, this works out to 55 minutes of actual exercise time--not including any rest intervals or time to switch weights, etc. Seems like a lot of time to train for, well, walking.

A good book for choosing rehab & injury prevention exercises, but I wouldn't base a whole fitness routine on it.

John

The word "comprehensive" seems very fitting for "Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness" because the volume packs in a lot of background information on physiology as well as specific training regimens for particular outdoor sports. I particularly value the icons for different sports used to identify exercises that are particularly valuable for the sport you are preparing for. The final chapters provide focused training regimens for specific sports, which are cross-referenced to the exercise descriptions found in other parts of the book. The book also provides valuable tips on functional exercises that focus on combinations of muscle groups to achieve more practical training than the muscle isolation process used in many weight training machines. All in all, this is one of the very best I've seen for sport-focused training.

May 6, 1954: 3,000 spectators, a number of competitors, one runner with a historic goal.

On that afternoon, Sir Roger Bannister broke through a mythical barrier, running one mile under four minutes. It was accomplished during a meet between British AAA and Oxford University at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.

This 1955 autobiography is more than a chronicle of his chase for immortality; it is an exploration into disappointment on the international stage - he did not medal in the 1500m in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games - self-sacrifice and the balancing of a number of goals on a variety of tracks in life.

While runners will never tire of the story of this challenge within the mind and body, those who have never laced up a pair of racing spikes can appreciate a spirit of motivation that can be applied in all facets of the daily grind.

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win," says Bannister. And those words resonate on the drive to any finish line.

Short read, perfect for the summer vacation on the beach. A really talented man, amazing what he accomplished considering some of his training ( smoking and hung over collegiate). The book is very literate, and illustrates a personal side of an accomplished doctor.

As a cross-country runner in high school this book by Roger Bannister was a great inspiration to me. His description of the assault on the 4 minute mile barrier is fascinating but also memorable are his recollections of the Helsinki Olympics (where Bannister failed to achieve a medal), and his success at the Commonwealth Games where the only two sub-4 minute milers met face to face for the first time.

It's now about 40 years since I first read the book and I was very pleased it was republished in a commemorative edition.

Reading the book again was a joy. The book went very quickly and had most of the excitement of when I first read it. It was not surprising tha the prose and impressions seemed less mature than when I first read them, but that was to be expected as Bannister wrote the book when he was in his twenties.

I was disappointed that the pictures were not the same as the original edition, with perhaps too many pictures of Bannister in later years. The original pictures of the Helsinki Olympics and other competitions were an integral part of the book and it's a shame that they were missing.

Bannisters achievement in breaking the Four Minute Mile was a milestone (pardon the pun), as was the fact that he did it as an amateur and while he was in the middle of his medical studies. In my opinion his book is also a great achievement and is certainly worth the read.

Roger Bannister sets about telling the story of his historic record 4 minute mile but in the process he reveals that there is more to life than just running. This book is quite unlike most running books I have read in that Bannister strives to keep things in perspective amid spectacular and historic events. It could just be his British demeanor, but I found narrative rather enjoying.

A great story about a great runner! You keep reading only wishing that he had put more about his career. It reads really slow and much of the book could be skipped over. I recommend the book if you are looking for a background of Bannister starting from birth. I was looking for something about his running.

Son used it for college and really thought it was a great book. He now is a long distance runner, so something worked!!!!!
Plus written by Bowerman - Oregon's coach of Steve Prefontaine....well, we know PRE got the benefit from this man!!!!

I'm a hurdler and this book provided me with lots of excersizes and times that I should be running.

A very easy to read and follow book on Bowerman's philosophy of training in track and field. A common sense approach that is refreshing.

When I started coaching track as a graduate assistant at a small Division 3 school, I really needed some help creating workouts for my athletes. I found this book to be extremely useful in its content with regards to workouts, sprint/hurdle/field techniques, etc. Of course, it is esstential that you have some type of track and field experience in order to understand what is being presented in the book. Every coach has their own style of presenting workouts. Fortunately, I have experience running track at a Division 1 level school--so I found it easier to use the workouts in accordance with my own style. Don't forget though--as a coach, you need to take into consideration the level of athlete you are dealing with (ie. no experience, some, elite level, etc). Basically you can use these workouts to fit the level of your athletes. I really liked how the authors incorporated an entire year of workouts for every event in track and field. Overall, I thought it was a good investment for any coach at a highschool or college level.

There are almost no illustrations of the movements described in this book. There is some good information but I think they are assuming you are already an experienced coach and have seen all these complex movements they talk about. if you are a novice looking for some detailed descriptions of the training movements, along with pictures, this is not the book for you.

The good thing about this book is that it lays out a very rational plan for speed improvement with pre-testing and needs evaluation. The organization of the workouts is a little complicated, though, leaving the reader to constantly refer to separate tables in different parts of the book. Some of the form exercises are pretty dated as well.

March 3, 2004

Reviewer: George R. Colfer, PhD.


After reading two mixed reviews from 2002 and 2004, I decided to read and review this book. Considering who the book was written for (i.e., young athletes), I would recommend it as a Resource and Guide for Speed Improvement. No book is ever perfect for all audiences regardless of size, length or type. When I see a title for "young athletes," I usually hold my breath as most imitate what works only for highly skilled athletes. The first thing I liked about the book was the introduction including "How to use the book" (pg. 11) and Chapter 1, which offers assessment to determine readiness for certain components of the workouts. Another example was regarding Plyometrics (pg. 90) where the author states a leg strength requirement and who by age level should avoid plyometrics, although I would rather see this at the beginning of the section as many youngsters "do" and don't read. Dr. Dintiman is very knowledgeable and also proven in the area of speed and running improvement. He has a much higher level book now in it's 3rd or 4th printing. Speed Improvement for Young Athletes is readable and follows a "how to do it" approach without a lot of "hype." My experience with speed is that it first requires self-motivation. There is a lot of material and equipment necessary which is why I think a youngster following this program would need the guidance of a coach, very knowledgeable parent or as part of a camp or clinic-type setting. The information and programs are proven to be effective with no doubt. Implementing them from reading about them may require some assistance as Dr. Dintiman mentions in the introduction (pg. 11-#1). Speed endurance is a relatively new term and is well covered in Chapter 7, but a more complete definition may be helpful. In the next edition, I would recommend updating some of the strength training photographs and I would find an index at the end to be very helpful. However, these do not detract from the content and program construction of the book (i.e., the 30 workouts), which achieves the author's purpose.

I purchased this book to brush up on speed training and the latest techniques so I could train my son and some soccer teamates. I have done speed training myself years ago and was familiar with the methods. This book cuts out the fluff and tells you exactly what to do and why. The author does a good job of explaining how to apply the training to younger athletes and at what age each technique is appropriate. The step by step training course outlined is terrific. My only complaint is that not enough emphasis is put on sprintng technique/posture and how to improve it. My experience has been that poor technique/posture is often the biggest problem for young athletes and luckily I already knew quite a bit about technique. A few more photos and details on proper sprinting technique would really help. Overall, the book is very good and we are achieving great results using the workouts.

Dr. Dintiman, an international authority on speed improvement, has produced a much needed text which offers excellent instruction on how to improve sport specific sprinting speed. What makes this book unique is that it is the first text specifically geared to the young athlete. The concepts in the text are based on internationally accepted research and proven instructional methods. The assessment program offered by the author is finely tuned to specifically uncover the young athlete's strengths and weaknesses. This allows valuable training time to be focused on specific points of identified weaknesses. Speed Improvement For Young Athletes: How To Sprint Faster In Your Sport In 30 Workouts, is a must purchase for any coach, parent, or individual who desires to produce a faster and quicker young athlete.

Eleven of my age group soccer kids completed the 30 workouts in this book in ten weeks. After seeing the improvement in acceleration and speed, the other 8 team members and their parents are sorry they didn't join in. The 30 workouts alone are worth the price of the book. You don't need a sports science background. If you are looking for a "just do-it" approach that improves speed in short sprints, this book is for you. The book cuts to the chase. There is no need to dig out anything. Everything that is included is important and the program works.

There are plenty of good tips for the past 50 swimmer, although the book is light on technique. Excellent for the swimmer dealing with injury and any older swimmer curious about how to set up an effective workout.

I was somewhat dissapointed in this book but by the same token taken by pleasant surprise regarding certain aspects of the book. It is not great on technique and the mechanics of swimming; for that lack of information I was dissapointed. To the authors credit he tells you right out the gate that this is not what you will find in this book and suggests some other books. This was helpful. The information regarding various excercises that can be done in the gym to help your swimming was excellent and most beneficial. Being a very average recreational swimmer I found this helpful for taking that next step using swimming as a cardio vascular excercise routine. All in all I enjoyed this book on what to do out of the water. Recommended for seniors looking to better understand the physical aspects of swimming and how to improve your overall conditioning .

I just started swimming and was expecting some " how to swim better" tips. This book is more about the next level, which is not bad, just not what I expected. It focuses on swimming's effect on the body, which is informative, but is mostly focused on comeptition etc. Not useful for a novice.

Be warned -- this book is aimed more at serious swimmers, those largely with competitive urges, than at the fitness swimmer who is interested primarily in the health benefits of swimming as exercise.

The authors are explicit about their purpose. They state: "Swimming Past 50 is not a 'learn to swim' book. [It] covers in more depth the benefits of an intense, structured training program, in order to prepare for competition."

I swam competitively in high school, 45 years ago. Recently, I decided to get back into swimming as an additional mode of exercise beside the running I've done for nearly 50 years. Because of the long time away from swimming, I felt I needed some guidance. I have on my shelf two books from this same series: "Weight Training Past 50" and "Running Past 50." I found both of those helpful for someone with my interests. I thought that "Swimming Past 50" would be the same kind of book.

However, I discovered that the book centers on serious training, with distances on the order of 3000 to 4500 yards per workout. Now, I don't have the time for that kind of training commitment, nor the interest in working through the multiple levels of training cycles described (multiyear, annual, macrocycle, microcycle, and workout -- one or two per day!!), nor the cascades of sets of laps at different paces, etc., etc., that this book describes and recommends.

If you are interested in being this kind of serious swimmer, as opposed to someone (like me) who only wants a less impactful form of exercise, perhaps you will find this book useful. I give it only three stars to emphasize that the raves it gets from other reviewers need a touch of circumspection.

Mel understands every aspect of serious swimming and is able to communicate his life's experience with the sport in an understandable and enjoyable way. As a fellow US Masters swimmer, I especially apprecitate his knowledge of what it takes to get faster on a continuing basis through an understanding of stroke mechanics and training.

This is the most versatile and comprehnsive training log on the market. I've used many over the past 25 years and none offered the flexibility to adequately record the variety of information this log allows, heart rate data, routes, cross training, weather, emotions etc. A beautifully orgainized and easy to use, this log takes the grand prize with no others challeging for its place at the top. Wonderful advice is provided by true experts in the field of exercise physiology and training along with easy to use planning charts. This log does more than just record, it allows for review, planning and preparation. Way to go Richard and Dennis, this is a long needed item for every endurance athletes bag.

I have been using a running journal for several years and this is a very nice one. Is it the ultimate one? That is certainly a matter of taste. If this were the ultimate one, it would be structured to accommodate more than one workout in a day, it would be hardcover, and it would be waterproof. And Amazon would be giving them away free.

The large format is very nice if, like me, you want to have some room to write. The training information in the front of the log is great but I already have that information in other books. Once you've read it then it's just dead weight to haul around. (This is important to me because I do carry my training log around with me most of the time.) It would be nicer if this supplemental material was in another volume that you could leave at home.

If you want a minimalist log (like the one you get for subscribing to Runner's World), then this is not the log for you. If you need room to take careful notes of your training, then you'll appreciate this log.

The Ultimate Runner's Journal is easily the best log book on the market. I've tried several other logs, and none come close to providing the amount of space available to write about my runs every day. That's why I'm very confused by the previous review--the writer states he wants a lot of room to write. That's exactly what The Ultimate Runner's Journal provides, so his criticism is puzzling to say the least. If you don't like pictures (and I don't know too many people who don't like pictures...), then it is very easy to skip them since they are on their own pages. Maybe what he really needs is a lined college notebook!

The Journal is geared toward all levels of runners--the pace charts go from 5 minutes per mile to 15 minutes per mile. Even brisk walkers could use the pace charts! I also love the quote that starts off each week on the right foot. They are well-chosen to provide inspiration one week, a good laugh another, and offer contemplation yet another week. I thought the articles were excellent as well, particularly the training article by Jack Daniels that is based on his book, Daniels' Running Formula. He tells you exactly how to train from middle distance to the marathon. Very useful. In sum, The Ultimate Runner's Journal easily rates as the best log book available today for runners of every ability--whether you like to write a lot or a little, read some or not at all, and gaze at great pictures, or thumb past them. With this book you have that flexibility, while with others, you don't. The Ultimate Runner's Journal is simply THE BEST!

While this training log is a pretty decent one, the "product description" for this item is incorrect. It specifically says that it includes "full color photographs," and it does not. The only "full color photograph" in the log is the cover. I was disappointed upon receiving it.

While I can understand the appeal some runners have towards this running log, I personally found it too picturesque with a lot of fluffy details. It is too loaded with other stuff that I think shouldn't be in a log book like all those pictures and quotes. Of course, I guess different people think differently in terms of what makes a good log book. For me, a good logbook is one that is minimalist on the pictures (none the better) and quotes and mainly with space to write down the interval training, long distance runs, pace, heart rate etc. that are essential in a log book.

And the other thing about this book is that it's format is too huge. Half the size would be good.

Well written. Easy to understand. Good remainder for coaches who forget who they are coaching for and why they are coaching youth football.
Good reading for any coach just starting or who have just a couple of years under their belt

For a coach, the first 3 chapters were not needed. The rest of the book provided great insight and help with the game.

This is my first year coaching and I found my knowledge of the game,and conditioning and prep drills lacking. This book may be too simple for those that have played the game a lot and are more than arm-chair quarterbacks.
I found the breakdown of practice sessions helpful because they stressed the different areas of the game but kept the pace moving to help keep the kids from getting bored.
This does not contain a playbook and if you are looking for this you might be disappointed.

This is an okay book, but the first half of this already thin ( about 120 pages 10"x7") book is just about something most guys who watch or have played football will already know. How wide is the field? How long is it? What's an even versus an odd defense? And so on.

The second half is very dilute, which is the real meat of coaching football. If you are an absolute novice, then buy this book. If you can get it free somewhere or very inexpensive, then it's worth a quick glance, but it is not a book you go back to over and over after the first reading, in my opinion.

Good luck to you coaches ... and remember the priority:
1. Children Safety
2. Build character
3. Win football games within spirit and letter of rules

I've been coaching now for a couple of seasons and ran across this book. I decided to buy it, and a few others to add to my library. I feel like as a coach you can never learn too much, and this one seemed interesting.

I bought 4 books that day, but read this one first. I should have read it last because it made the other 3 look and sound retarded. Worst yet, it made me look stupid for buying them. The information provided in this book was absolutely great and very instructive. It really starts you off from the absolute basics of coaching, which can come across as a little condescending if you know anything about football. But quickly takes off into a world of information, some which you probably already knew but forgot over time.

It literally takes you by the hand and walks you through the process of getting through an entire season, from the first practice, how to handle parents, through team meetings, right into the seasons games. I highly recommend any coach that is working with youth teams (Jr. High and below) to take a look at this gem and get as much as they can from it.