Athletics Books

I would recommend that you spend a little time Googling instead of wasting your money on this book. It is WAY overpriced. Technically it's 108 pages, but if the layout were professional (i.e., using a normal-sized font, without the random textboxes (some of which are missing text as they stop mid-thought) or quotations in huge fonts) this book could easily be 50 pages - and most information is on the Internet.

This book was great. It had all the information in one place and was a quick, accessible read. It filled in the gaps in my knowledge about how my kid should approach coaches and how we should make a good media guide and video, and it gave me tips from an insider perspective. It even gives examples of professional sample letters for students to submit to prospective coaches. It's also a book that could help the whole team (we found lots of info to share and pass on) and something our busy kids would still sit down and read (and I can't imagine my son plunking down with one of those huge books and doing that). This book had everything I needed to know in one place. I could have googled for weeks for information and still not found everything in this book (I tried!). The price was right and I checked it out ahead of time with the search inside to get a feel for what it was like. It provided everything it promised.

The Student Athlete Handbook for the 21st Century offers concise, practical advice to student athletes making the transition from high school to college.

From selecting a college, to contacting coaches, to succeeding during the all-important freshman year, the book provides a guide through a sometimes daunting process.

It's also an ideal resource for a younger athlete, perhaps a high school freshman or sophomore, who hopes to participate in college athletics and wants to get a head start.

This book provided us with an excellent (and accurate) depiction of what a student athelete should be aware of as he or she gets ready for college. Other books we read (or tried to read) were so sterile and/or out of date they didn't provide any sort of relevant guidance. I _highly_ recommend Grimes' book, even for students who aren't fully sure they want to pursue a college career. You might just find it helps them realize college isn't a bad idea and isn't too hard to do and play sports at the same time!

I always find myself buying triathlon training books, then ending up being disappointed because I haven't learned anything new from it. This book falls prey to that sometimes (EVERY triathlon book has a chapter devoted to nutrition that goes over carbs, protein and fats), but it also contains a lot of really good information about technical aspects of each sport (like how to handle hills and cornering on your bike), really planning a good training program to meet your own needs (in terms I could follow), and lots of other stuff that I'd never seen in the dozen or so other books I've looked at. There is even a section on preparing for specific distances, during different seasons.
There are no references for any of the information given, so it is an easier read, but you don't know where the authors gathered the information from, which worries me a little. What concerned me even more was that some of the information that was given can actually be dangerous--the list of suggestions to make long runs more interesting included running with headphones and running at night--without any caveats.
This book was worth the money just for the new info I picked up, but make sure to use some common sense when it comes to using the advice. It might be better to use this book as a complement to other resources.

This was the 1st triathlon book I bought. It gives an overview of the equipment, types of training in chapters on swimming, running and riding, time requirments, nutrition and sample training plans.
It is NOT a training book perse. It will give the reader an idea of what it takes to start triathloning without overwhelming him and her.
I think Triathlon 101 is better but it's a personal opinion.

I found this book to be fairly helpful. I especially liked the descriptions of form drills for all 3 disciplines. The informaiton was useful. What I did not like is that since I am new to the sport of triathlon, there were phrases used that I did not understand. This was most evident in the workouts. The text would describe everything well, but then in a listing of a sample workout it would use terms not explained in the text. This made it hard to figure out what to do sometimes. Also the author says he'll show you how to have many peaks in a season, but then really doesn't ever give that information.

A fantastic book and on the "top two" of my recommended reading list for beginning triathletes. If you are going for detail and want in-depth and technical information on how to develop a training plan, go with the Triathlete's Training Bible. If you want a solid overview of the sport of triathlon, this is the book for you.

Swim, Bike, Run is written in a very straight-forward style and gives sound, practical advice. I am an avid reader of "things triathlon," so I've read just about every book out there. The most telling insight into how much I value this book is that this is the book that I consistently return to and read the night before a race. I also look to it for a "refresher" when I want to improve form/technique and when I am evaluating how my training is going mid-season. The swimming section is particularly effective and the illustrations greatly helped me on technique issues.

A great read and highly recommended.

I bought this book because I wanted some techniques to help with physical training. I thought that it would provide some short stories to compliment the information but it kinda reads like a text book, which isn't all that bad. For the price and the wealth of information that is contains it is a good buy. Also it is written by a Doctor so, you know that it has to have some basis in truth. I would reccommend it to anyone who wants to know how to enhance their Total Mind Body Training...

I have read a multitude of books on peak performance training. Many over the last few years have sections that copy from this book word for word. It is good to finally find the original.
Highly recommended not only for the martial artist, but for anyone interested in peak performance athletic training.

The book is an invaluable source not only for peak athletic performance, but for accessing your top level performance in any field. I found it extremely helpful and heartily recommend it.

The book is useful to the martial artist that is looking to avoid plateus in her/his training. However, the most recent info to back up his claims seemed to come from th 70's. This made me wonder if recent research is a basis for claims stated.

This diary is perfect for the beginning triathlete. This diary will help you prepare for a triathlon with a 12-week training plan.

This was very informative--especially for someone just starting out. I would recommend it to anyone interested in getting started with Triathloning.

The Triathlete's Training Diary for Dummies is a good book for getting someone in shape for a triathlon, but not necessarily completely prepared for one. The book does give a 12-week training plan that splits the workouts between distance, sprints, and weight training but does not specify how much time should be spent on each of the three sports. For instance, I could follow the entire training plan without setting foot in a pool or on a bike. The training plan also does not specify practicing more than one sport during a workout, so you may not be prepared for the difficult bike to run transition.

Also- be prepared that well over 50% of the book is blank training diary pages. Although the book has good information it does not answer many of a first-timers questions that could be covered with more text and less blank pages.

Overall I would say the book is worth the money if you would like a training diary with a few pages of helpful hints on triathlons. It's a great way to log your workouts in an organized format that lets you see your progress over time.

If watching the Ironman inspires you to get off of the couch and enter a local triathlon, make your first purchase The Triathlete's Training Diary for Dummies. The Diary is more than a training logbook - it also contains a simple, soup-to-nuts guide that will show you how to train for, and successfully complete, that first race. As someone who has moved just beyond the novice level in the sport of triathlon, I can attest to the folly of trying to gleen information about triathlons from various articles and books that are all too often geared for the mature racer. The Diary would have made that first race sooooo much easier!

Experienced triathletes will likely be familiar with all of the training and racing information in the Diary. As for the logbook portion of the Diary, my only compliant is that it does not contain a section for weekly/year-to-date totals - which are very helpful in determining training progress as well as giving one a sense of satisfaction as to what has been accomplished during the course of a year.

Fantastic! Those were the days ... the swingin' A's ... three championship (consecutive) seasons. Excellent DVD ... great memories!

This book is an updated and expanded version of the original book, which came out in 1998 and won the Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research as the best baseball book of the year.

I like this new edition (A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's) better, since there is quite a bit of added material. It includes some headlines from the early 1970s, giving the reader a bit more flavor from that tumultuous decade. There are statistical tables on each of the A's' seasons from 1971 to 1975. And there is new interview material with Joe Rudi and Blue Moon Odom that was not included in the first edition. Also, a better title and a better cover, featuring reproductions of some classic Topps baseball cards from the 1970s. There's a 1974 Topps card of Catfish Hunter, a 1972 Topps card of Mudcat Grant (with those mutton-chop sideburns) and 1973 Topps cards of Reggie Jackson and Rollie Fingers. Good stuff.

When I picked up this book, I thoroughly expected it to be full of anecdotes about one of the most exciting teams and eccentric owners of all time. What I got was much less. Basically, this book rehashes the box scores and quotations of the time...and adds little else.

Not only that...there are typos galore.

If you idea of fun reading is statistics in paragraph form....go for it. I prefer something a little less boring.

I bought this book as well as the Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Golf. I think this book has a better program, particularly when used in conjunction with the Core Performance web site.

The illustrations of various strength and stretching movements are helpful, but when and how frequently to perform is quite confusing.
Too many categories: eg "Movement Prep, Prehab, etc. and too many options Par 3,4 etc make it problematic to create a specific program for an individual. A more straightforward "cookbook" approach would help..

I am a 24 year old former collegiate golfer, and this book is probably one of the best I have read for golf specific training. The exercises are described well and the workouts are easy to follow. There is also a nutrition section which talks about how to be healthier day to day as well as what to eat pre / during a round. For anyone looking to increase flexibility, strength, power, eat better, prevent injury, this book is a must.

Just a side note, but the movement prep sequence for the workouts / pre round are worth the price of this book itself. I will never workout or play golf again without completing the Movement Prep beforehand, it is the best stretching / warm up routine I have seen.

I highly recommend this book.

This book provides an excellent perspective from the President of a major academic and sports university of the challenges of intercollegiate sports. Athletics don't make money at any collegiate level (if costs included fixed plant expenses). They can cause serious scandal for Universities. But still the public demands winning programs. Dr. Duderstadt was perfectly experienced to speak on this issue coming from a great school but also a former athlete. He also brings an interesting perspective of the role of the Provost, which he held prior to being President.

But even after listing all of the woes of how athletics affect colleges, he cops out and says they still have a place. I think this shows just how tough the problem is. It was interesting that quite a bit of his reading overlapped mine, and in fact, he agreed with me that Rick Telander, Sports Illustrated writer and former college football player, had a worthwhile solution of making college "pro" sports optional for colleges.

He also had great discussions of the personalities of coaches and athletic directors and how that affects the programs, as well as discussions on how the media can harm college athletics. Sports journalists don't score high on his list.

This book doesn't solve any problems but does give a different and insightful analysis of the challenge. I recommend this book to those trying to understand the finances of college athletics and how an athletic department exists inside a major university.

Jim Duderstadt, former President of University of Michigan, an intercollegiate athlete himself and a full-time Big 10 fan, has finally decided the shred the public relations shroud around the reality of Division I athletic teams. He demonstrates the wanton excess associated with college basketbal programs, as well as most football programs. At the same time, he reaffirms the value of most other sports programs at the college level. His voice is a rational warning, unfortunately heard by few university presidents where accountability for this issue really sits. Too many of them, according to Duderstadt, pass the buck for the appalling professionalization of major college sports, placing blame on alumni, the public, state legislatures, faculty or others. Fortunately, he nails down the responsibilities of each group with incriminating detail, and urges massive reform. The cost of the current game plan in Division I schools is rising, he demonstrates, and may end up in defeat for the institutions we consider essential to educating future generations. Read it now -- before March Madness sucks you into the p.r. spin!

During a season when there are some excellent books on college sports (Shulman and Bowen's Game of Life, and Murray Sperber's Beer & Circus), Duderstadt comes up with something of a dud (sorry for the pun). He calls for the reform of college sports but this is the guy who, as president of the University of Michigan, tolerated a special academic program, Sports Management, in which his jocks with academic problems were sheltered. It is really hard to take him seriously with a background like that. It's as if he has found religion--reform college sports.

Good luck to him, and I suppose that any critic of big-time college sports should be congratulated for taking an unpopular stand but this book is too little and far too late.

I found this book at a library years ago and studied it. When my son took interest in his own exercise program, I recommended it and bought it for him. He likes it too. It's a great book.

I was looking for some fitness instruction when going out for an ROTC scholarship in high school and found this book at my local library. I had no real exercise background but wanted something that I could do at home, without much equipment, that would get me in some kind of basic shape for a potential future with the military. I am happy to say that using this book prepared me sufficiently to win the ROTC scholarship (though I ended up accepting a different funding package to get to college) and I've kept up my fitness to this day. It may not work for everyone, but it's a good basic workout that hits most essential areas, and takes body fat percentage into the fitness equation which is so often overlooked.

Cohen assumes nothing about the level of fitness of those using his program. All exercises have multiple levels of challenge (usually six). Starting with levels for those with no ability to do the excercise and progressing to a level which can best be described as advanced intermediate, Cohen provides a workout program to progess to the level of many of military fitness programs. Requiring little equipment, except for the most rudimentary of items, often providing alternatives available arond the home.

i think these was the best in mma conditioning exercises not only functional but also effective. mark hatmaker books are always the best. im looking forward for a 1 complete NHB manual. all books must be completed and must be complied as one inexpensive manual

"No Holds Barred Fighting: The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning" is one of the best combat-sports primers I've seen. The author presents a variety of excercises, including bodyweight, barbell, dumbell, plyo/agility, and stretching. Hatmaker gives the reader suggestions for sample workouts which vary from begginer, intermediate, advanced, and pro. He covers sports-specific conditioning for grip and neck training, and for sprawling and standing up. Also included is a bodyweight cardio workout, great for those of us who find running tedious. Other topics covered include breath control, when to stretch, and the type of cardio specific to the MMA fight game. As another reviewer stated, the weak points of the text include periodization, which isn't even addressed; nutrition, for which Hatmaker hedges his bets by stating that past champs have eaten a variety of foods and that there's no "magic diet"; and weight cutting, for which he suggests simply fighting close to one's own natural weight. For pure conditioning though, the information contained in this book is worth all my other conditioning books put together. With a straight-forward, easy-to-read style and a variety of useful conditioning information, this book is a plus in any martial artist or fighters library.

I have several of Hatmaker's books. I like the reasonable prices, and no nonsense, conversational style and this one is no exception. If you already have significant knowledge of conditioning, I don't think you are going to learn a lot from this book. Some discussion of periodization would be useful. There is virtually nothing on nutrition. (The author points out that many great athletes have had bizarre nutrition plans and suggest you should do what works for you.)

If you want a clear, inexpensive, easy to ready intro that will give you explanations of a number of exercises and specific suggestions for how to assemble them into a program, you will be very pleased with this book. The book has application beyond NHB and MMA, but if you are looking for something for a particular sport that is not one of those or similar (wrestling, bjj, etc.) then you can probably get a resource that is more specific to your needs.

But the Hawaii Kai loops are all ONE MILE OFF! While training for a long distance race, I thought I should confirm milage and to my surprise they were all off this was also doubled checked by Google Maps. The book is a good source for parking, restrooms, and water fountains. But that is a HUGE MISTAKE!

Rick Varley knows O'ahu. He has been running and coaching runners on the island for over twenty years. The book also contains excellent, easy-to-read maps by Shingo Matushima, one of Hawaii's top graphic designers. If you are planning any runs on O'ahu, this book is a must.

I just got my copy of this book last week, and I definitely like it. There are running options all over the Island, and good directions for how to get there. The book also makes sure to include things like water fountain and restroom access for each run. If you are new to the Island and not sure where to go, this would be a great resource. My complaints are that the maps for each run are a little difficult to follow, and that there aren't more trail runs mentioned (although the author DOES go over the Tantalus trail system). Thanks!