Athletics Books

Nice going Hal you've put out another great book for runners to follow as they progress through their sport.

It seems that my biggest challenge these days is motivation and nutrition where my athletes are concerned. There are just too darn many fads out there and the real "easiest" way is when you put in the study and the work.

Hal Higdon has taken the problem out of researching your needs and put it right in front of you in this book. Read what he's giving and then incorporate it into your program.

Written by "Runner's World" magazine's senior writer, this book takes the form of question and answer over a wide range of topics. Simply put, it's a FAQ manual for runners.

One small problem with this format is, there is only one question and answer addressed per topic, so the information imparted is very specialised. To counter this, the book covers a wide range of topics from beginning running to marathon training, to injuries, to advice for young and older runners.

I would recommend this book to the beginner / inexperienced runner. Those who have been running for some time would very likely have come across most of this information before. If you're looking for a repository that contains a great deal of accumulated knowledge that can be accessed easily, here it is.

Although I considered myself to be a seasoned runner, I knew there was much that I had yet to discover before taking on my first marathon. This book helped incredibly - with everything from nutrition to preventing potentially painful or debilitating injuries. Though training to run a marathon is most certainly an arduous and daunting task, Higdon's book helps to put running into perspective and removes it from the realm of "only the talented can do it." He gives running back to those who don't know everything about the sport and are willing to learn.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is considering a marathon or even a 5K for the motivation, the advice, and the knowledge.

Hal Higdon is my grandfather, and I'd love this book even if it wasn't written by him. :-)

Even though this book was written in the 80's it contains alot of awesome training ideas, some quiet advanced. Fun read and a great piece to add to your library.

Even though this book was written 21 years ago it still has a lot of good information. Anyone who has read muscle mags knows that the latest hype of the day seems to come and go like fashion in favor of the newest hype that can gloss a cover. But this book has a lot of information that has stood the test of time. He covers most areas that bodybuilders will need schooling in with straight forward, easy to understand advice. Some of the actual routines may be a little dated but no one can really agree on "the best" ways to train anyway. There are a lot of motivational photos and it does not try to fool you into thinking its a blueprint to turn you into a pro bodybuilder. If your looking for a book to help you see where many of todays ideas evolved from this may be of interest to you.

I am thankful to the authors for not wasting hundreds of pages showing how to do common exercises. Afterall, how many books do I need that will show me how to do a bench press? You probably already know the most common exercises anyway if you are looking at purchasing this book. If you want an encyclopedia of exercise variations, I would recommend Bill Pearl's book, Keys to the Inner Universe.

Mass goes beyond other Bodybuilding books in ways too numerous to list. Just as one small example, many books give example workout plans for beginner, intermediate, and advanced bodybuilders. However, this book goes one step further by telling you when you are ready to advance based on what percentage of your body weight you can lift in various exercises.

The book tells how to target different muscle cells, numerous ways to structure your workout, different ways to specialize on lagging body parts, numerous tricks for increasing intensity, how to cycle intensity, tips on nutrition and weight loss, recipes for mixing your own protein drinks, etc.

Makes a great companion to Beef It, one of Kennedy's other books. In fact, I would recommend reading numerous books, including books by other authors such as Vince Gironda and Fred Hatfield. Information is power.

However, if you have to start with just one book, you could do far worse than to pick this one. I agree with the previous reviewer that this is a book you won't read and then toss. You'll keep coming back to it.

BTW, Kennedy's co-author on this book, Dennis B. Weis, has a great web site with free training tips and articles. I asked Mr. Weis about the book, and here is what he said:
"Actually I wrote the entire book and Bob Kennedy was so kind as to supply all the interior support photo's and most importantly of all get us a book contract. Regarding the book Raw Muscle! It continues on where Mass! left off so to speak and likewise Anabolic Muscle Mass continues on where Raw Muscle left off. Thanks again for your comments. Please check out my monthly Q & A column in MuscleMag International."

Chapters:
CONCENTRATION - THE BODYBUILDER'S WAY
THE SCIENCE OF REPS AND SETS
TRAINING MECHANICS - MUSCLE OVERLOADING
STRUCTURING A WORKOUT SCHEDULE
BODY-PART SPECIALIZATION
OPTIMUM MUSCLE-BLASTING TECHNIQUES
THE WISDOM BEHIND PHASE TRAINING
A TREASURY OF BODYBUILDING SECRETS
THE CHAMPIONS' SECRET - AEROBICS
MUSCLE INJURIES - CAUSES AND TREATMENT
THE NUTRIENT FACTOR
ESTIMATING YOUR ENERGY EXPENDITURE
SOME FACTS ABOUT BODY FAT
A GUIDE TO LOSING EXCESS BODY WEIGHT
OVERCOMING WATER RETENTION
TEN TIPS FOR GAINING MUSCULAR BODY WEIGHT
CARBOHYDRATE LOADING
BLENDER MAGIC
THE FINAL COMMENT

I have read and tossed out many many books and magazines on Bodybuilding over the years. I only have three books I refer to over and over again, and of the three, this is by far the most comprehensive and easy to understand. I refer to it so often that it is never put away back on the shelf. I don't write reveiws here often, but I owe so much to this book that I felt obligated to let others know how good it is.

Awsome book with some very interesting and intense workouts,great pics of those fantastic Nautilus machines being used to explain the exercises.Dont forget though unless your 250lbs of solid muscle and super strong the workouts have limiting effect.

This book which is based on the concept of High Intensity Training originally developed by Arthur Jones the developer of the Nautilis machines is a good reference for your library of strength training books. If you do a Google search you can get a summary of this technique by Jones himself which adds important dimensions to this concept. Also, the "Power of 10" is a good book on this subject. That book also references Jones and I think Darden as well. Jones was the man, however.

See my review of Super High Intensity Bodybuilding: Nautilus Principles Applied to Free Weights, also by this book's author; my comments regarding Dr. Darden's inspirational writing and photography apply equally here. For bodybuilders of an advanced level, the routines and techniques herein are simply unmatched in intensity and WILL stimulate growth unlike any other regimen you're likely to employ; THIS I can say from personal experience...my best gains ever in my years of working out. You've simply GOT to be willing to outlast, out-suffer, and just plain out-stubborn rhe pain and nausea you'll endure if you've got it in you to follow the directions therein to the letter. For a passionate musclehead as myself, however, sustaining such motivaton isn't quite so forbidding a possibility when you're actually stronger and taping out bigger every two weeks or so.

Considered to be among the best advanced technique bodybuilding books ever published, the book covers fundamentals as well as in-depth advanced techniques and training methodology. It has detailed (yet easy to follow) text as well as numerous photo diagrams and charts. A must have reference for any serious bodybuilding enthusiast. -- (now out of print in any form, the book has become quite a sought after item by personal trainers as well as individuals)

This book has the goods - it is very serious, not a typical sports book, but it teaches at every level. Civil Rights. Science. Women. Black Power. It is tough to think of what it leaves out. Starts slow, but really picks up and by the time it is done, it's like you've been watching PBS for two hours and didn't feel it. Learn.

This book really helped to open my eyes about the events surrounding the 1968 Olympics. More than that, it also talks about many other significant issues such as women's roles during that time, the way certain people saw various events before, during, and after the times. Be prepared to be patient when you read this. Dr. Bass takes her time and goes way back with her research leading up to the games in the late 60's. There were some areas I was not too interested in, such as some scientists' claims that black superiority in the athletic arena is due to biological and genetic advantages. Yet there were other times in the book like when Tommie Smith explained the MEANING, the TRUE MEANING, behind he and Carlos' actions that really made me take it in and appreciate the courage they had to take a stand at that time on that particular stage. From the black socks to the scarf Smith wore on his neck to both of them not wearing shoes on the victory stand while the national anthem played. More than just discussing the Olympics, she digs deep into the perception of the black athlete, from the 1930's when Jesse Owens was the man to the 60's, and to the 90's with Michael Jordan. Like I said earlier though, be prepared to be patient when you are reading this. There were some parts that I had to bear with to get to what I wanted to read, but all in all, it's a read that can definitely challenge your views not only about the black athlete, but sports and life in general.

A work that provides insight into how race is understood and projected in U.S. society -- and the world -- and where its ties to nation, class, gender, etc. come into play most dramatically. This exploration of the black power movement at the Mexico City olympics is a critical examination of a multitude of topics: television, sports, civil rights, humanity, globality -- the list is varied and important. Complex, complicated, interesting, imperative. A learning experience for all who turn its pages.

I learned so much from this book. I thought that it might be too hard to read, but it was worth it: I will never watch sports -- especially the Olympics -- the same way again. There's too much to list contained here: the Olympics, the media, race, sexuality, women -- it goes on and on. I think everyone should read it.

I frequently referred to this book in our company library. Now that I'm retired I bought my own copy. I looked at several books on the topic and found nothing and good at explaining how our bodies work. I've saved myself a lot of medical fees over the years.

I have had this book for over 20 years. It is a great reference covering just about every part of the body. Any muscle or joint aches and pains, this book tells you what causes it and how to fix it.

Great analysis of cause and practical approach to cure. Especially good with joint issues. Thanks Dr. Garrick, your efforts have limited my pain and time in recovery! You should be everyone's first responder to sports injury...another edition??

This is the best book on athletic injuries I've used. It's old, but the sound advice hasn't been improved upon. I had a chronic hamstring injury when I got the book (back in '86) and for the first time in years I was able to rehab it completely and compete pain free. I've since referred to it for advice on knees and shoulders. Most recently I had an early stress fracture only a few weeks before an important competition. Following Garrick's guidlines, I was able to recover completely before the event. Garrick understands an athlete's need to stay active and take positive action to recover from an injury and tells you exactly how to do this. He also realizes that an injury that is "cured" by rest and cessation of the activity most often returns when the activity is resumed unless active rehab has been performed.
Highly recommended. The only reason I gave it four stars rather than five is it's brevity. I wish he would write a much longer and more detailed reference.

No matter what your level of running is, you can learn something from this book. There is a wealth of information here from basic fitness running to competitive running...this book has it all. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about what would appear on the surface to be a simple sport.

This is a great beginner's book on learning how to run. The advice is practical and it had me running with confidence in no time. Buy this book if you want to learn the basics of running without a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo.

I found myself picking this book up again and again, reading another one of the many pieces of wisdom on one of the so many topics of running covered by this book. I have been running for over 10 years, from marathons to triathlons to weekend trail runs, and yet this book tells me things about running that I have either forgotten or had not yet learned. And the format of the book makes it easy to read a topic for a quick bit of insight or motivation. A good solid resource for runners from beginners to veterans!

This is an ideal book for those beginning running and hoping to improve. What should you wear, what should you do, how can you avoid injury? All the answers are here in a well written, clear and concise format. Joe Henderson has written many books and for the beginning or intermediate runner this might be not only his best, but the best currently available. Tips, tables and helpful hints from years of experience and years of running are here.

Many, many great concepts and ideas in this book have changed and confirmed lots of things I do with my teams. Very valuable!!

This book, as well as all books by this author, are excellent. They are obviously an good resource for its intended audience of coaches, but it is also useful for any leader. I consider, and recommend this book to others, as my bible for leadership. It is easy to read and understand. The concepts build logically and interact well with each other.

An excellent resource not only for coaches and those involved in sport activities but also for parents and educators. Janssen and Dale talk about the importance of team building and the real reasons most kids get involved in sports: to have fun and to have social opportunities, among many others. That is not to say that winning is unimportant but rather that it is only one aspect of involvement with sports. A must read for parents and educators who believe winning is the ONLY thing.

This is very good. Well written, easy to follow, and very practical applications for yourself and your team. Most of this stuff I am going to implement or had already implemented.

For any beginning coach, or coach that is struggling with reaching your players, you must have this book. If your team is underachieving, this book will help. The references to successful coaches and their experiences is really a positive.

The one funny about this book, is how much it refers to Gary Barnett in a positive light. This is kind of ironic based on what is happening to him right now...

Coaches should buy this book...

I grew up in Lafayette but was only 6 years old at the time of the NCAA death penalty. I highly recommend this book if you are a sports fan, especially if you are a Ragin Cajun basketball fan.

I remember vividly the post-Beryl Shipley era at Blackham Coliseum with great players like Andrew Toney, Graylin Warner, Dan Gay, Alonza Allen, Kevin Figaro, Dion Brown, Dion Rainey, etc. and of course the great coach Bobby Paschal. I'd always thought the Paschal era was the finest but this book proves the Shipley era was king and the way he was run out of town was shameful. The NCAA needs to be exposed. They owe Beryl Shipley and Cajun fans a formal apology and the University owes Shipley reverence and honor. Cajundome Blvd should be renamed Beryl Shipley Blvd. A statue of Dwight "Bo" Lamar should stand outside of the Cajundome. Reading this excellent book gives me a great understanding of the excitement in Lafayette at the time and how segregationist and racists manipulated the spineless and equally racist University administrators. Ray Authement, former President of ULL, I hope you are hounded about this until you admit what really happened and clear Shipley's name.

This book has the makings for a great movie or documentary. I hope Ron Gomez and Mr. Shipley have considered this.

This is an eye opening account of what the NCAA and universities within Louisiana did to try and stop segregation of college athletics (specifically basketball) in the 1960's and 1970's. Explains what the coaches and players from the University od Southwestern LA (USL), now University of Louisiana-Lafaytte, were put through during the time of the investigations

Buy this book and own a timeless portrait of a legend.

There was Lombardi in icy Lambeua Field, Auerbach in the Garden in Boston, Stengel pacing the dugout in pinstripes, the man with the houndstooth hat on the sidelines in Tuscaloosa and other legendary coaches.

None were greater men, greater coaches or better leaders of men than Coach Beryl Shipley at The University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette.

Had Shipley coached in a media center like Boston or New York, or headed a marquee program like Alabama football, he would have come alive in major daily sports pages the way he dominates the pages of this book - - his legend would have been established long ago.

One has the sense the if Beryl Shipley had been in the military, he would have refused any commission that would have taken him from his men on the battlefield.

His greatness looms large in this text, larger than the legends referenced above for his actions in intergrating a college basketball program in the deep south evidenced uncommon courage.

The exhaustively documented text details the pervasive racism that surrounded Shipley both in his own university and in the state athletic commission. Worse yet, were the incompetent, overzealous actions of the NCAA that brought about the death of Shipley's program, his dream, and the dreams of deserving young men, members of his team.

But there were those times . . . all those times when Shipley led his integrated charges onto the hardwood . . . at home in a cow palace packed to the rafters . . . on the road before angry jeering crowds . . . and into the highest echelons of the sport in NCAA playoff games played in far away venues.

Ron Gomez, the author, not only has known Shipley well since the coach's first day on the job, but he was also a close witness to the things he reports in this book. Though he was close, he manages to present an objective view of the debacle and a restrained view of this great man who is his friend.

It is all interesting reading, but the portrait of Coach Beryl Shipley is riveting for he is a man who was right and was punished for being right, yet maintained his personal dignity throughout.

You get the feeling that the Coach might have cussed some in private, but in public he remained composed, kept his head when those all around him were losing theirs.

Every great man deserves to have the record set straight, deserves a monument to himself, and in these pages both of those things are accomplished for Coach Shipley.

At times in reading this, you wish you had been a few inches taller, possessed more athletic skills, and had been fortunate enough to have your life touched by this great man.

Ray Mouton

I was a student at USL during the time the events in this book took place. Beryl Shipley was bigger than life then, and he's even bigger now. He made significant and positive history with respect to integrating sports in Louisiana. This book exposes the sham of back-room Louisiana politics and the pathetic actions of the NCAA and the University at that time in its history. Shipley deserves more recognition than he's received. Maybe this book will begin to show how much the man accomplished and how little the University deserved such a man. The NAACP should take a look at the events of this book and seriously consider honoring Beryl Shipley. We all knew he was a great coach, but few knew the battles he was fighting off the court with the University administration and Louisiana politicians. College sports fans need to read this book.

The Paperback version of this book was given to me free when I was a medical student in 1985. I practice rheumatology and am an athlete myself. Whenever a question comes up regarding an athletic injury, if I am not immediately familiar with the disorder or can't find information from other sources, I dust off this book. I can't recall a time when this book failed me or the patient. Its conservative approach with a big measure of wisdom makes it the best sports medicine book I have ever seen. With regard to non surgical treatments, it never seems to get out of date. For this reason it is probably the only textbook I still own dating back to my medical school years. The reason I accessed this site was to see if a revised edition exists, which sadly doesn't seem to be the case. This book is not only the best I have seen for a physicians use, but for a therapist or sophisticated athlete as well. I would welcome any information on a possible successor to this edition.

We have owned this book for many years and reference it regularly. It has been loaned to a number of friends and colleagues many of whom purchased their own copies after reading it. The descriptions of injuries are excellent, and, although is was published a number of years ago, the the advice is still sound. I highly recommend it to anyone who plays sports or exercises or has family members who do so. It is also a great reference to have at gyms and company libraries. I highly recommend it.

We have owned this book for many years and reference it regularly. It has been loaned to a number of friends and colleagues many of whom purchased their own copies after reading it. The descriptions of injuries are excellent, and, although is was published a number of years ago, the the advice is still sound. I highly recommend it to anyone who plays sports or exercises or has family members who do so. It is also a great reference to have at gyms and company libraries. I highly recommend it.

I have played just about every sport known to man in my 43 years of life. I bought this book in 1985 after a softball injury kept me from going to a national tournament. IT IS TIMELESS. It is organized by body section, which makes it an easy reference manual for the non-medical folks like me. Leg injury, find it in the leg section, back injury, back section, etc. I came here because I hurt my back this weekend while loading moving boxes into storage and one of the MANY boxes contains my "sports injury bible" (obviously this book). I frantically searched through as many boxes as I could to find it without hurting my back further, but it is KILLING me that I can't find it (killing me MORE than the injury!). It has become a trusted friend over the years and I came here thinking I wouldn't mind having a backup for now. Mine has been leant out MANY times over the years to teammates and other friends, and saved me TONS OF MONEY by replacing doctor and hospital visits. If you are an athlete and endure the typical weekend sportsman's injuries, and HATE going to the doctor only to hear: "Take two of these and call me Monday", find this book and hang on to it! It shows you how to rehabilitate AND strengthen injured muscles, ligaments, etc. My softball injury was a second degree tear of the rotator cuff muscle (I found that out from reading the book and WITHOUT going to a doctor ONE!). The book told me how to figure out what was wrong, how to fix it, when I could go back to playing (both conservative AND agressive estimates), AND THEN how to strengthen the muscle and surrounding muscles so that there would be MINIMAL scar tissue. Within months my throwing arm was even STRONGER than before the injury. Dr. Southmayd has many interesting stories of helping pro and amateur athletes with their rehabilitation intermingled with the why this works and that doesn't. He writes from an understanding of the perspective of the athlete (when can I get back to playing?!?). I consider myself lucky that I have one of these, bought ignorantly as an alternative to seeing a doctor in 1985. Get one if you can, I can't wait to unload these boxes and find mine!

Even if you are an experienced athlete yourself, and former power lifter (like me), this book is great for the research it presents about children and weightlifting, and for the organization of the material. I found the medicine ball portion particularly helpful. Very good pictures.

Strength and Power for Young Athletes is a tremendous help to athletes with both high and low athletic standards and abilities.It is very easy to read and follow.It has appendixes for each sport and categories for each age group.Pictures and a key of what each machine works helps you understand each machine easier.Nutrition guides of carbs and protien is also a big help.This book is great for keeping you in shape.

This book was an excellent reference that I relied heavily upon to create a strength training program for our Pop Warner football team. Faigenbaum has published results of studies documenting the benefits of strength training for children. This book provides good description of exercises for each muscle group and provides variations using different equipment, .i.e. free weights- dumbbells and barbells, resistance bands and weight machines. One ommission in the book was that his published paper revealed a program that proved superior to others in controlled experiments in terms of results gained.
Program: 3 sets with set #1 being 50% of 10 rep maximum resistance (warm-up), followed by set # 2- 10 reps with 75% of 10 rep max (moderate), and set #3 - max number of reps with 10 rep max resistance.

As a former Olympic Athlete I appreciate the importance of keeping children healthy and strong. This book provides all the tools you need to develop safe and effective strength programs for boys and girls. It is an easy read and the photographs are outstanding. This book is a real WINNER!