Athletics Books

Between about 1954 and 1984 I read huge amounts of material on training for middle distance running - books, magazines and journal articles on sports physiology. Nothing I read, and nothing I was told by several High School and College coaches of the time came close to explaining what interval training really was, how it worked or why. This book contains most of this explanatory information in the introductions to each chapter. Once the recovery aspect of this training method was made clear, I could use the tables to design workouts for running 10K and 15K road races. (By that time the "running boom" was growing fast and I had "aged up" into the master's group.) Nonetheless, with no real coaching available in the mid-1980's, I added one good, long, "middle distance" interval session per week. Sometimes I did it every two weeks. I used a combination of a college track and a nearby measured cross country course. I designed several different workouts to avoid boredom. I ended up running faster, longer and with better form than at any younger age. I had to quit competition because of family and job commitments. Otherwise, I think I was headed towards "top ten" rankings (regionally) within the coming year. The only other ingredient a runner needs is a good reference on sensible, active recovery workouts after the interval training and how to be careful in building up your volume of work over the long term to avoid injury. Books on foot care, shoes and orthotics might be good as well. There used to be a booklet by Tom Osler called "The Conditioning of Distance Runners." I suspect it is out of print, but by now there must be updated resources (see books on "periodization"). If you don't have access to a good coach, or even if you do but want to learn more, this may be the best studying you can do. I believe these workouts can be modified for use by swimmers and cyclists without too much difficulty.

This book helps you see where your running potential lies. You can find out, based on your PR in a given event, how fast your intervals should be run.

Payton Jordan suggested to me to try this book of charts indicating the current progress of a runner and the step-up procedures necessary to improve. It was, and still is, "the" book to understand effort levels and training procedures within the reach of the user!!

This book covers everything from Adrenaline to Windchill and anything you need to know in between. Starting with the category 'The Biology of Endurance' then 'Training Tools and Techniques' then 'Nutrition for Maximum Endurance' followed by 'Injuries, Obstacles, and Perils' and finally 'Great Endurance Challenges'(a listing of many major endurance athletic events around the world).

Ogranised in Encyclopedia format, this book is packed with the information you need to become a good endurance athlete. Wether looking up Massage Therapy, Fartlek Training, or Aerodynamics you'll find the information you're looking for quickly and easily. If you're a Personal Trainer or a beginner you will find this book usefull. I've had this book for almost as long as it's been published and have consulted it again and again. This is a book I'm sure any athlete would enjoy.

This is a book you can go back to anytime. Tinley (and McAlpine) cover all the aspects of endurance training. This is not a book that will give you all the detail, but it offers just the right amount of advice to help you through. I've done a few Ironman Triathlons myself and have actually met and talked to Scott tinley; he is the book and the book works.

This book is simply great for the endurance athlete. It deals with training, diet, mental aspects of endurance training, and medical issues. The book is instructional as well as motivational and is a work that you'll keep referring back to time and time again.

Even though I bought this book used it was brand new and in excellant condition. It was shipped in a timely manner.

Awesome book, it has helped me understand a lot about massaging and is going to be of great use for my career. thanks very much

Being a bit biased because I know the author and attend/ed her school, I can truthfully say her book leaves nothing out. It covers basics of therapeutic bodywork all the way up to actual helpful techniques for working with athletes. Contraindications, assessment techniques, rehab, case studies, it's all here.
There are plenty of pictures demonstrating techniques and the muscles that are being addressed.
There's even a video, that accompanies the book, to visually demonstrate even more, some of the techniques discussed.
If I could say anything negative about the book I'd say 'overkill'. Sandy has strived to leave absolutely nothing out. Kudos, Mrs Fritz!
James Nichols NCTMB

This is the one dog-eared text on my bookshelf that I would never loan out to anyone. Written in a concise and to the point format this is the foundational textbook for anyone who cares for athletes. A favorite of mine is the "Quick Facts" and "Practice Points" that are included in the 24 chapters. If you are only going to purchase one sports medicine textbook this is the one to get. Lets hope the next edition comes out as planned so we can actually find this textbook!

I have been using this book for years and find it to be the most comprehensive, thorough, and accurate tool for assessment and treatment of sports injuries from head to toe. I especially like this author because he is was a physical therapist who went on to become an orthopedic surgeon. This undoubtedly gives him a wonderful ability to combine overall physical assessment with an MDs assessment. He gives great side notes and provides the reader with all options available for treatment, from conservative to aggressive. A must have for me!

Reading this book was very helpful with my profession as an athletic trainer. It was very well in detail when it comes to evaluation of an injury and to rehabilitation of an injury. I find this book to be very helpful in different ways. And I find it to be a excellent book and an excellent resource.

I've sworn by Gaines' book for thirty years. It's got programs for everyone, with equipment and without, and the results are superb.

This is the very best book I have come across dealing with fitness. It gives the reader great latitude assuming we all have different access levels to training equipment. Gaines's philosophy towards fitness is excellent!

I bought a copy of this book in 1981 and in my opinion, this is probably one of the most effective exercise books ever published. With this book, I lost mearly 60lbs in 3 MONTHS! My biggest regret is I misplaced my copy of this book and I have been trying to find another copy of this book for years. If amybody can get me another copy of this book, I greatly appreciate it.

This is simply my favorite book ever. I have read approximately 100 sports books and no single book ever made me feel as the authors (Valenti and NYC high school coach Ron Naclerio) were so close to and affected by the actions of their subject. Daniels has been labled as one of the greatest high school basketball players ever and his legend is probably even larger. He came from a broken home and became a victim of drug abuse at such an early age that his career never amounted to anything close to what it should have been. He did eventually play in the NBA only after years of drugs and a critically wounding gunshot robbed him of the potential he had when he was young. I met him in a bar at the New Jersey shore (close to where he and his family now live) on a chance one night years after I read this and was still simply awed by him as a result of this book. If you are a sports fan, please read this.

MAGIC JOHNSON WITH A JUMP SHOT, that's what they called him, who am i talking about? Read on my friend. In this grippin and tear jerking story of street ball, we learn the true goods and evils of the game. In this story, the main character, Lloyd "Swee' Pea" Daniels, struggles against his addication to "the rock". This story will give you the true vision of what it takes to be a great, and the situations young urban kids have to go through to make their dreams come true.

Great book about could-have-been basketball legend Lloyd Daniels. A great inside look of how the glory of basketball corrupts youth. Inspirational because of Lloyd Daniels' limited success in the NBA and CBA. I loved this book because of its rags to seemingly riches to rags story about the Swee'Pea Lloyd Daniels.

It's written in a straight-forward and entertaining style and yet is packed full of useful information, including illustrations, for the amateur swimmer like myself as well as an Olympic hopeful. Coach Nessel covers the dynamics of all four competitive strokes and the individual medley, starts, turns, and finishes. Having a scientific background, he also explains the physiological aspects of swimming (now you will know WHY you hurt :) and there is a whole section on health and nutrition in relation to performance. Highly recommended for any swimmer from teenager to senior citizen.

The book Swim to Win contains thoughtful and clearly explained descriptions of the mechanics of swimming. What sets this book apart from others is the authors knowledge and explanation of the science of exercise and its application to swimming performance, training, recovery, hydration, and so on. The science is well explained, easy to understand, and well integrated into this training text. The sample workouts are excellent and emphasize the principle of intensity over duration.
This is a terrific book.

The book is very informative on many levels and provides valuable information for swimmers, parents and coaches. The way technique, training, nutrition and race preparation are covered gives the reader a solid foundation for success. For coaches and parents the book provides information not found in one source and is a valuable reference.

Too often those who are really good at something are in such demand for their services that they have little time to provide a complete presentation to explain it all for others. Houglum and the team that assisted in producing this book with its hundreds of photographs and detailed exercise instructions have done so. "Why, how, when and what to do," are all spelled out. While the book is intended for sports / rehab professionals, many of the technical terms not familiar to those who are not in the field are provided in a glossary. "Theraputic Exercise for Athletic Injuries" is an excellent resource for those who wish to continue to improve their physical condition long after the limited physical rehabilitation provided by insurance coverage is complete. It is almost as good as having Houglum on-line as your own personal trainer.

This book is an outstanding book. It has every condition you can think of and plenty of rehab exercises for the athlete. It is very well written and easy to understand. Hope authors come out with another related book soon.

The book is written with the professional in mind. The sections are the most complete I have seen in a rehab book. The sections are divided with ease in finding the area needing information for you patient. Easy and simple rehab and progressions make this a must have. The book costs, but you get what you pay for.

This book is good for you if you are just starting out with little experience. It includes things on technique, training, diet, and drills. It really helped me succed.

High school athletes as well as coaches will love this book. It has great photo sequences and is written so the athlete can actually take it to practice. Lots of humor in it to make the technical stuff actually fun and easy to understand.

I first saw this book a my local library back in 1993 and it has helped me with my coaching at the junior college level ever since. I recommend this book to field event coaches of all levels. I have been wondering where I could buy this book, because no retail bookstore carries this subject. I even thought about telling the library that I lost it and paying for it that way! Thanks Amazon.

As any fan of the USC Trojans knows, the football program has a very long and storied history. No college football fan would deny that USC has a place among college football royalty, alongside the likes of Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Texas. Of course, getting to that level involved winning games - lots of them - and important ones at that. But of USC's hundreds of victories, which were the most important in contributing to USC's status as a former and current powerhouse?

In this book, Barry LeBrock examines ten of the most momentous victories in USC football history. From the early days in the 1920's when Howard Jones' Thundering Herd took on Knute Rockne's Notre Dame teams and forged a tremendous rivalry that has produced some of the greatest players and plays in all of college football history, to the modern day, when Pete Carroll forged his reputation as the most gifted USC coach since John McKay - the top 10 greatest victories in USC history are included. Of course, there might be some controversy involving the ten games included, but I think almost all USC fans would agree that the ten that are listed in the book are indeed milestones in Trojan history. For instance, USC's 2001 victory over UCLA (a 27-0 shutout) is a curious inclusion, given that USC's 2001 season was a mediocre campaign, with only 6 wins against 6 losses, but it was this game that really set the bar in Los Angeles that USC was back, and UCLA was no longer the big dog in town.

Each of the ten chapters involves a description of the game itself, but with ample background information so the reader can understand what was going on in the world of college football at that point in time, and what the stakes involved in the game were. The descriptions of the players and coaches and atmosphere of the game are truly engrossing. This is a wonderful, enjoyable read for any Trojan fan (or for those who just want to know what USC football is all about) and I would highly recommend it.

I have been following USC football for about twenty years and I thought I knew most of the stories about the Trojans. But this book was full of stories that I had never heard before. He quotes everybody -- from guys who played in the 1920's to OJ to Garrett, from Marcus to McKay, and Leinart and Carroll.
Definietly worth reading if you are a Trojan backer. Excellent.

While Barry LeBrock's "The Trojan Ten," as the title suggests, focuses on what he considers to be the ten most significant victories in the long and celebrated history of USC football, the book is actually an historical compendium of a program that stands at the top of the gridiron pedestal alongside Notre Dame, USC's oldest and most competitive rival.

Currently the Trojans and Irish have each secured 11 national championships. They are also even in the Heisman Trophy department with each school boasting 7 winners.

LeBrock explains how graduate manager Gwynn Wilson of USC, realizing that legendary playing Notre Dame under famed coach Knute Rockne could be the springboard toward a Trojan surge into the top ranks of collegiate gridiron teams, was able, with the assistance of his wife doing a good sales job on Mrs. Rockne, to get the famous Notre Dame to okay the series.

LeBrock also reveals how, when USC fired football coach Gloomy Gus Henderson, Rockne lent the Trojans a helping hand in recommending that they consider hiring Iowa's coach Howard Jones. It was a 16-14 come from behind victory by USC over Notre Dame at South Bend in 1931 with Jones as coach that prompted the school from the West to catapult into the same elite circle with ND. This, understandably, was LeBrock's first choice as he chronologically presented his choices of the ten most significant victories in the school's history.

Two other victories over Notre Dame also fell into the elite ten category, the others being 1964 with a 20-17 upset over the number one ranked Irish and the benumbing 55-24 victory over the Irish after the men of Troy overcame a 24-0 deficit and appeared ready to sustain a humiliating defeat.

While the title scheme and a certain amount of emphasis on LeBrock's part extend to the ten victories selected, the book has much more. He leads into those classic games by giving shape and perspective to the Trojan program during the periods in question before and after the classic victories then reveals the aftermath of the impact on the school's overall program.

For instance, in analyzing the great 1931 triumph solid emphasis is given to the winning mentality developed by Howard Jones in establishing a juggernaut that provided national titles in 1928, 1931, 1932 and 1939.

We then see a passing of the dynastic baton almost one generation after Jones's death from a heart attack following his final season in 1940 to the advent of witty and jovial John McKay, the architect of the 1964 and 1974 storybook wins over the Fighting Irish and the molder of four USC national champions in 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974.

Another game put in LeBrock's top ten was one of the most memorable of McKay's career, when USC battled crosstown rival UCLA for the 1967 national championship. The Bruins featured the quarterback who would win the Heisman Trophy that season in Gary Beban. The game's deciding touchdown in USC's exciting 21-20 win was scored on a 64-yard romp by O.J. Simpson, the Heisman winner to be in 1968.

Once that the McKay years are completed LeBrock segues to the era of Pete Carroll, the next and current USC dynasty coach. His first top ten selection concerning Carroll was a 27-0 shutout of UCLA in 2001 in what he sees as a milestone game in which the Trojans made significant inroads into the future and the recruiting war with the Bruins.

One of my favorite elements of this book is the way that the author explores the USC winning tradition based on the productive careers of three coaches, providing an important insight into winning psychology. Given that there are a lot more people to interview concerning the McKay and Carroll dynasties, this psychological element involving a dynastic football program can be explored at greater detail than in the case of Jones, the great coach who built an impressive Trojan foundation in the twenties and thirties.

Current USC athletic director plays a major role in the development of this book. In addition to writing the foreword, he was recruited by McKay and became USC's first Heisman winner in 1965. As athletic director he was responsible for hiring Carroll over the vociferous objections of many L.A. sports media figures and prominent school alumni, who were proven wrong by Carroll's enormous success.