Best Strength and Conditioning Books

As a busy strength and conditioning coach, use your time efficiently by reading the best strength and conditioning books on the market. Knowledge is power, and having the best knowledge of modern strength and conditioning techniques and practices gives you the tools to train the best athletes.

The Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th Edition):

essentials of strength training and conditioning

If you’re going to buy just one book to study for the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach exam, the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th edition, is the book to purchase. This book is the essential text for strength and conditioning professionals and students. Created by 30 expert contributors in the field, the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning explains the key theories, concepts, and scientific principles of strength training and conditioning as well as their direct application to athletic competition and performance. The scope and content of this book has been updated to convey the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a strength and conditioning professional and to address the latest information found on the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. The evidence-based approach and accuracy of the text make it the primary resource to rely on for CSCS exam preparation.

Key points, chapter objectives, and learning aids including key terms and self-study questions provide a structure to help students and professionals conceptualize the information and reinforce fundamental facts. Application sidebars provide practical application of scientific concepts that can be used by strength and conditioning specialists in real-world settings, making the information immediately relatable and usable. The web resource provides students with lab activities in fillable form for practice and information retention. Further, both students and professionals will benefit from the online videos of 21 foundational exercises that provide visual instruction and reinforce proper technique.

Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training 3rd Edition With Online Video 3rd Edition:

Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training CSCS NSCA

Created by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), The Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training, Third Edition With Online Video, is a practical resource for current and aspiring strength and conditioning professionals and personal trainers. With visual demonstrations of a variety of free weight and machine exercises, the text is a valuable tool for those preparing for NSCA certification. This full-color book explains 70 different resistance training exercises with step-by-step instructions, photos, and online video demonstrations. The text is organized by body region, including total body, lower body, upper body, and core, and focuses on specific resistance training exercises specific to each region. Every chapter contains a table that describes each exercise’s concentric action, predominant muscle groups, and muscles involved, enabling readers to understand the impact of the exercises on each body region. To reinforce fundamental techniques, the text includes guidelines related to general safety, tips for breathing and spotting, preparatory body position, and weight belt recommendations.

Exercises are explained through sequential instructions and photos to ensure that readers will learn the safest and most effective technique. Accompanying checklists identify the correct grip, stance, body position, and range of motion for each exercise. Online videos demonstrate proper technique as well as common errors so that users can recognize incorrect techniques and make appropriate adjustments. These videos are an invaluable resource and visual aid for learning correct technique—in the strength and conditioning facility and in the classroom. With the inclusion of additional exercises as well as online video demonstrations, Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training, Third Edition With Online Video, is the most authoritative and current resource in teaching safe and effective resistance exercise techniques.

Starting Strength

Starting Strength offers a unique approach to coaching barbell weight training and is written by experienced coaches and sports scientists who designed it specifically for training beginners. Learn how to effectively and safely coach the basic core lifts and their programming in an easy to do, step-by-step process. Featuring the most heavily illustrated exercise chapters in print, Starting Strength shows the reader not only how to teach the lifts, but how to recognize and correct the technique errors common to all novice lifters. The book includes sequential animations of each exercise performed correctly, along with practical interpretations of coaching theory, and the anatomical, physiological, and mechanical principles of training. It will help prepare coaches and personal trainers to be more effective strength and conditioning professionals.

Practical Programming for Strength Training

There is a difference between Exercise and Training. Exercise is physical activity for its own sake, a workout done for the effect it produces today, during the workout or right after you’re through. Training is physical activity done with a longer-term goal in mind, the constituent workouts of which are specifically designed to produce that goal. Training is how athletes prepare to win, and how all motivated people approach physical preparation. Practical Programming for Strength Training 3rd Edition addresses the topic of Training. It details the mechanics of the process, from the basic physiology of adaptation to the specific programs that apply these principles to novice, intermediate, and advanced lifters.

Conscious Coaching

In the world of strength and conditioning, learning how to move others—not just physically, but also psychologically and emotionally—is paramount to getting the most out of them. People are the ultimate performance variable, and understanding how to effectively blend knowledge of proper training with the nuances of human behavior is integral to helping athletes achieve their ultimate goals. Unfortunately, while much attention has been given to the science of physical training, little attention has been given to the science of communication. Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In bridges this gap. Readers learn the foundational principles of improving relationships, enhancing engagement, and gaining the trust of athletes through targeted communication. And, every bit as important, readers also learn concrete strategies to apply these principles in day-to-day coaching situations they will inevitably encounter. The result is a game-changing book that sets the stage for coaches to create a culture of success not only within sport, but also beyond. Conscious Coaching is a movement and its time has come.

Bigger, Leaner, Stronger

If you want to be muscular, lean, and strong as quickly as possible without steroids, good genetics, or wasting ridiculous amounts of time in the gym and money on supplements…then you want to read this book. Getting into awesome shape isn’t nearly as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe. The exact methods of diet and training that make putting on 10 to 15 pounds of quality lean mass a breeze…and it only takes a few months.

Strength Training Anatomy (2nd Edition)

This classic book provides an in-depth look at the anatomy of muscles involved in strength training. Delavier’s detailed illustrations and explanations offer coaches a comprehensive understanding of how different exercises impact muscle groups. With a focus on proper form and muscle engagement, this book is an invaluable resource for designing effective strength training programs.

Triphasic Training

Triphasic Training introduces a revolutionary approach to strength training, emphasizing eccentric, isometric, and concentric phases of movement. Coaches can learn how to periodize training programs effectively, enhance athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injuries through this innovative methodology.

High-Performance Training for Sports

Geared towards coaches working with elite athletes, this book explores advanced training techniques and strategies for optimizing athletic performance. Covering topics like periodization, recovery, and sports-specific programming, it equips coaches with the knowledge to design cutting-edge training programs.

The Sports Gene

Epstein explores the role of genetics in athletic performance, challenging traditional beliefs about talent and hard work. This thought-provoking book helps coaches understand the complex interplay between nature and nurture, offering insights that can shape training approaches and expectations for athletes.

Becoming a Supple Leopard

Focusing on mobility and movement, this book is a must-read for coaches seeking to enhance their athletes’ flexibility, stability, and overall function. Starrett provides practical tips and exercises to address movement restrictions, prevent injuries, and optimize athletic potential.

Good to Go

Aschwanden explores the science of recovery, debunking myths and providing evidence-based insights into what truly works. For coaches keen on maximizing their athletes’ recovery protocols, this book offers a comprehensive guide to sleep, nutrition, and other crucial aspects of the recovery process.

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