There’s a lot of information about fitness and strength training out there. Enough to give anyone severe information overload, even without taking contradictory sources into account.

Everyone agrees that “effort” is the way to go. Anything which claims otherwise can safely be canned, but things are a bit fuzzier from there on. No one seems to completely agree on what to do, how much, and how often.

We’ll occasionally be writing up some information about books or sites we found useful.

Bruce Lee’s “The Art of Expressing the Human Body” is an excellent resource to start from. Apart from the workout routines, this book gives a great example of how to plan and evolve your training.

It also clearly explains the importance of different exercises, and why you should track your progress.

 

Al Kavadlo’s “Pushing the Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment” is a must read for anyone interested in body weight training. It covers push ups, squats and inversions, giving progressions for each movement. This makes it extremely useful for anyone at any level.

His youtube channel is also a fantastic resource as he frequently uploads questions and answers as well as demonstrating techniques.

 

If you’re planning to do any weight training, Mark Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” is invaluable. It explains how to lift effectively and safely, clearly showing what each bit of you is supposed to be doing during a lift.

The writing style makes it easy to follow and is a very good read, and the quality of the advice in it is fantastic. This book is very frequently cited and recommended, and with good reason.

Header image: Old book bindings at the Merton College library.
By Tom Murphy VII.