Athletics Books

I bought this for a project in college and it turned out to be a lot better use. Have given it reads a few times just to remind myself of different aspects of the game. Helps in building a program and controlling your life as coaches sometimes get lost in coaching. Worth a read.

This is the one book I have constantly pushed around my high school to fellow coaches- in any sport- to read. The leadership and guidance is both thorough, entertaining and most of all, right on the money. Any new (or not so new) varsity coach would be very wise to read this and keep this book in their library to refer to it at least annually. However, you will find it difficult to reacquisition the book after loaning it to somebody. Perhaps the Athletic Director could buy one for each coach. It would saved me the ordeal buying now another one .

In Coaching and Control Bill Warren examines many key components that are often overlooked in books for coaches. From relationships between individual players, whole teams, school staff and communities to practice and game preparation, Warren gives coaches of every sport and level an excellent framework from which to develop your own philosophy on coaching. Additionally, this is one of the few coaching books that I have encountered where the writer isn't afraid to address situations in a non-politically correct way. It was nice to finally read someone who has coached and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I highly recommend this book for the "new" and "old" coach. There is something for everyone here.

This book is the ONLY book that can help all coaches in every sport. Bill Warren has been through it all and presents tons of valuable information to help any coach navigate the "shark infested waters" of coaching. I wish I had this book 20 years ago. Coach Warren, thanks for all the help you have given me. This book is your best! Thanks!

This book is a good introduction to Foil fencing. It does have some dated pictures but the information given still serves favorably for the new foil fencer. It should be clear this book should be used in addition to current lessons being taken to be able to extract the information correctly.

A simple and complete introduction to the sport. The text is a little dated but still accurate. Probably the best introductory book for the money.

This is a clearly written basic introduction to Olympic-style sport foil fencing, with good illustrations. It is much more readable than most others, and is written for a U.S. audience. Foil is the weapon most often used to teach beginners, and though I am a sabre fencer I found this book very useful during my first year.

A REVIEW BY NICK EVANGELISTA:

This book has been around for quite a while, and for good reason. It is a fine, basic volume on fencing. I recommend it.

As a former varsity coach now coaching the lower levels, this book contained good insights for building an offense that works without either being too simplistic or unneccesarily complicated. Especially helpful was the section on goal line offense. I wish there were more detailed diagrams, and more on practice organization, but this is a solid read nevertheless. If I were a head coach, it would be required reading for the Freshman and Sophomore staffs.

If your a football coach looking for the holly grail of coaching Don Schnake breaks it down to what is most important. There is more how-to and common sense in this one book than in my entire coaching library.

The title "Simple Six" refers to six base plays the author recommends as the foundation for your offense. He gives examples, but it is up to the reader to decide on what their focus will be. From the base plays he goes on to discuss counters and play action passes that stem from the base. He also discusses goal line packages.

This is a good place to begin if you are just starting out to develop your own offensive style/philosophy. I've been coaching high school football (both JV and Varsity) for 8 years now, and it reinforced my belief that offenses at this level should limit the number of plays they run. Master a few plays, run them to perfection, and only add when you are comfortable that your players can handle something new.

I would say the author also believes in the K.I.S.S. principle. It's not a very long book, but it is easy to read as the author uses a conversational style.

Coach Don Schnake's newest book "Football Simple Six" is an excellent read. His solution to running a high-school offensive to day is to limit the amount of plays so you can maximize the reps in practice of those six plays. The six plays will fit into anyone's offense.

Coach Schnake is an excellent author and coach. Try and get his earlier book on his father in law, prep basketball great Arhur Trout of Centralia, Illinois,

I bought this book when it first came out in 1996. I have now just gotten around tor reading it (1999). I am bad about putting off things I suspect are going to be very good (Delayed gratification).

One of the great pioneers of not just running, but healthy living via serious play, George Sheehan, wrote a book that is the final work of his life. Subtitled, One Man's Journey To The End Of His Life," Sheehan has his eyes wide open, avoiding clinging to pure emotionalism and the could-of-should-of-would-of mentality, looking deep into his own felings and observations.

This book is not for everyone. It is for those that choose to face life and death with their eyes open -- willing to face themselves and what makes them tick.

Just as you cannot put a bandaid on cancer, George Sheehan doesn't try to cover up his humaness. He fully embraces what he was, what he is now, and acknowledges the similarity between the very young and the very old.

Unfortunately, this book will hard to find if you have an interest . . . Long overdue for a reprint.

G.R. Ford

This was the first running book I ever read, I am trying to read all of his books. But some are hard to come across. A touching story of a man and such a stong devotion of the meaning "life," god bless him.

While George Sheehan is best known for his expertise in running, he may be more accurately described as a philosopher than a runner. Going the Distance is a wonderful journey through a dying man's thoughts and reflections on dealing with the end of his life. Diagnosed with prostate cancer, Sheehan embarks upon a journey to battle the disease, and then come to terms with his own mortality when the battle is lost. As per his usual work, there is the obvious emphasis on running, but even the non-runner will enjoy this book. Not merely a book for "jocks", Sheehan once again displays his artful writing style and philisophical nature. A must read for the runner, walker and couch potato alike!

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. First, I should mention this is *not* a book about running any more than Moby-Dick is a book about whales. Rather, it is a discourse on how best to live one's life, written by someone near the end of his. I read this every year, and every year I'm amazed at how wise Dr. Sheehan was. Like Shakespeare or the Bible, it opens up to me the more I read it, and every time I learn something new, if only because I've changed and understand it better through experience. It helps me measure my own growth. I can't express what an influence it has been.

Taking care of your body will ensure many more years of good golf. This book is a great start, with a simple 15 minute program to keep you (and your game) in good shape!

Unlike many such books, this one is excellent and serious. Follow Dr. Vad's strictures and you may yet live to shoot your age!

I wish I'd read this book 45 years ago, when I started playing golf. If you're a serious golfer -- one who wants to play your best, and works toward that goal -- you have a choice: get into a good flexibility and strengthening program, or be prepared to spend some really painful time in bed, not playing golf in beautiful weather.
This book provides what you need to lower the likelihood of encountering the pain and misery of golf-related back problems. There are no guarantees in life, but it has transformed golf for this 67-year old.

It was a very easy read. Very little golf stuff but lots of easy exercises to do and could be done in under 20 minutes for better fitness. It has three levels of difficulties. Yes, to golf better, improve on strength and flexibility as the explosive force in a golf swing could result in injury if we are not properly conditioned, especially weekend warriors.

I run youth programs in Iowa, and after reading Mr. Wolff's book I feel more educated in the world of youth sports. Not only will this help me in my programs but also at home with my three sons.

I've enjoyed reading Rick Wolff's columns for years - every one seems to be just on the mark. This book is a great compendium of his thinking, caring approach to being a coach and parent. Any parent signing up a child in youth baseball (or any sport) should have to promise to read this book!

Not only does Wolff point out some of the problems with youth sports today, he also gives solutions. As a concerned parent and coach for my children's basketball, softball and soccer teams, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the important ingredients for coaching and being an encouraging parent. This book renewed me and now my children and their teams are enjoying sports more and becoming more successful. I re-read the book prior to every season and get more out of it each time.

This is an excellent overview of the proper attitude to have in coaching kid's sports, as well as containing good tips for parents on their role. But I wonder if it needs a chapter on getting the people who need to read it to actually read this book. I think the concerned parent, the one who wants to learn, will seek out this book. It is the unconcerned parent or coach, who thinks they know how to mold champions, that won't even think to read a book like this.

If there is one criticism of this book, it is that it tends to focus on team sports and does not explore the differences of how to interact with a child involved in individual sports (running, swimming, tennis, golf, etc.). Of course, the biggest abuses of poor coaching and loutish parental behavior tend to be in team sports like baseball. But I think the book would be improved with more specific examples related to individual sports to complement the information about team sports

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.