The Athlete's Bookshelf - Stadion Publishing Company

Presented by Stadion Publishing Company, Inc.

Here you can find titles on sports training from other publishers that are recommended by our authors.

Attention: All titles except those followed by SP are available through their respective publishers. Titles followed by SP are available through Stadion Publishing Company.

Books on Exercise Physiology

Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance by William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch

Every instructor of sports or martial arts should read at least this one book on exercise physiology. Without a solid knowledge of exercise physiology much training time is wasted, sometimes great talent is lost, one can believe magazine and newspaper “fitness experts,” and easily make a fool of oneself.

Physiology of Sport and Exercise by W. Larry Kenney, Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill

A basic text on exercise physiology. Easy to read and great for introducing athletes to fundamental concepts of physiology of exercise and sports training. Includes recent research on strength gains, aerobic endurance training, tapering, chronic fatigue, and overtraining.

Books on Exercises and Sports Training

Children and Sports Training: How Your Champions Should Exercise to Be Healthy, Fit, and Happy SP by Józef Drabik

Children and Sports Training explains what are “sensitive ages” for development of endurance, coordination, speed, strength, flexibility and how the ways of developing these abilities change depending on the child’s age. Teaches how to match the right sport with the right child, the right training program for the child’s age and gender.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning – 3rd edition by Thomas Baechle and Roger W. Earle

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning – 4th edition by Gregory G. Haff and Travis N. Triplett

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning presents the state-of-the-art strength training and conditioning research and applications. It is the most-preferred preparation text for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam.

Explosive Power and Jumping Ability for All Sports: Atlas of Exercises SP by Tadeusz Starzynski and Henryk Sozanski

This book explains how to develop explosive power, special endurance for explosive movements, speed, coordination, and flexibility. It shows ready-made progressions of exercises for an amazing variety of major sports, including most track-and-field events, ball games, racquet sports, combat sports (kickboxing, boxing, judo, wrestling, fencing) and many more.

Gambetta Method: Common Sense Training for Athletic Performance by Vern Gambetta

In only 140 pages Vern Gambetta introduces fundamental concepts of rational sports training. Gambetta gives sound advice without delving deeply into the science behind effective training methods, procedures, and exercises.

Gambetta Method covers conditioning (including speed, strength, and power), rehabilitation, and planning of training.

Some differences of approach and terminology notwithstanding, this book is an excellent companion to more detailed books on sports training such as Supertraining by Siff and Verkhoshansky, Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training by Bompa, or Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance by Kurz.

Specialists educated within the East European system of physical culture (physical education, sports, and recreation) will find in Gambetta Method a concise overview of the American state-of-the-art approach to sports training from one of the leading American authorities.

The High Performance Heart: Effective Training for Health, Fitness and Competition with the Heart Rate Monitor by Philip Maffetone and Matthew Mantel

The High Performance Heart explains how to use a heart rate monitor to control endurance training.

The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness by Philip Maffetone

The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness explains how to customize exercise and nutrition program to reach top athletic shape and the best health. This book has glowing reviews from Kent Johnson, strength and conditioning coach of Green Bay Packers, and from Anthony Robbins, best-selling author of motivational books.

Periodization Training for Sports by Tudor O. Bompa

Periodization Training for Sports tells how to design strength training so athletes display top strength, or power, or muscular endurance during the contest and not before the contest or after.

Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training by Tudor O. Bompa and G. Gregory Haff

Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training deals with all aspects of athletic training and also explains the theory of periodization and how to apply it to any given sport. This book formerly titled Theory and Methodology of Training is better organized and easier to read than previous editions of Bompa’s Theory and Methodology.

Power Training for Sport: Plyometrics for Maximum Power Development by Tudor O. Bompa

Power Training for Sport shows how to dramatically and safely improve athletes’ jumping ability and power.

Science and Practice of Strength Training by Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer

Science and Practice of Strength Training, shows how to use scientific principles to improve athletes’ strength. It is written by Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, world renowned sport biomechanist and former conditioning consultant to the Soviet Olympic Teams, and by Dr. William Kraemer, a full professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut at Storrs, a full professor in the department of physiology and neurobiology and a professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He is also editor in chief of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The authors present concepts influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives and integrated those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, and directions based on scientific findings.

Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance SP by Thomas Kurz

Science of Sports Training explains the methods that Eastern European sports training specialists use for the safest and fastest development of strength, speed, reaction, endurance, and flexibility, as well as technical and psychological skills. Illustrated by examples from several sports, the principles and methods of training explained in this book are easily applied in any sport.

Serious Strength Training by Tudor Bompa, Mauro Di Pasquale and Lorenzo J. Cornacchia

Serious Strength Training brings you the most effective exercises and programs for increasing muscle mass and hard-core strength.

Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training SP by Thomas Kurz

High kicks and splits with NO WARM-UP! Stretching Scientifically teaches the most effective, the safest, and the fastest stretching method.

Strength, Speed, and Endurance for Athletes: 100 combative activities for partners by Jurgen Hartman

Strength, Speed, and Endurance for Athletes shows partner exercises from combat sports. The rules are simple, no special clothing is needed. Includes exercises to develop reaction, balance, orientation, strength, speed, and endurance.

Super Squats: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks by Randall J. Strossen

Super Squats tells how to gain strength without drugs, fancy machines, or long routines. Squats build mass of the whole body—not just of the legs.

The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing by Philip Maffetone

The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing presents training program for endurance athletes–marathoners, triathletes, and cyclists. Recommended by Mark Allen (Six-Time Ironman Champion), Mike Pigg (Two-Time Triathlete of the year, World Cup Champion), and Stu Mittleman (World Ultramarathon Champion).

Teaching Fundamental Gymnastic Skills by Debby Mitchell, Barbara Davis, and Raim Lopez

Covers teaching gymnastic skills up to back handspring (floor) and skills of similar or lower difficulty on the apparatus (beam, vault, bars). For each skill it gives cues that address different learning styles: bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmical, logical/mathematical, verbal/linguistic, and visual/spatial.

I Can Do Gymnastics: Essential Skills for Intermediate Gymnasts by USA Gymnastics

Shows progressions of gymnastic skills up to back handspring (floor) and intermediate skills on the apparatus (beam, vault, pommel horse, low bar, parallel bars, uneven bars, rings).

Books on Injury Treatment and Health Maintenance

Applied Kinesiology: Muscle Response in Diagnosis, Therapy and Preventive Medicine by Tom Valentine and Carole Valentine with Douglas P. Hetrick

Applied Kinesiology is a noninvasive and inexpensive method of diagnosing and quickly treating injuries chronic and sudden, as well as overtraining, fatigue and any other health problems.

Applied Kinesiology: Synopsis by David S. Walther.

A must-read book on maintaining good health, and on dealing with injuries and other obstacles to peak performance.

Applied Kinesiology: A Training Manual and Reference Book of Basic Principles and Practices by Robert Frost.

A less expensive alternative to dr. Walther’s Applied Kinesiology: Synopsis. Not as thorough but it explains mechanisms of the reflexes used in Applied Kinesiology and therapeutic procedures. Includes diagrams of the basic muscle tests and the appropriate reflexes.

Back Care Basics: A Doctor’s Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief by Mary Pullig Schatz

Back Care Basics teaches how to get rid of back pain , neck pain, and how to correct posture. The gentle exercises for each type of spinal problem are grouped according to need, described in detail, with photos, and the rationale for doing them is given.

Readers report getting great results very quickly—even after just one week of following the easy-to-follow program.

Get this book if you have any back pain, or neck pain, or poor posture.

Becoming a Supple Leopard: Movement, Mobility, and Maintenance of the Human Animal by Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza

Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur.

Complementary Sports Medicine by Philip Maffetone

Complementary Sports Medicine shows how to combine various therapies in a holistic approach addressing individual needs of an athlete. It explains how to discover causes of potential injuries and prevent the injuries, how to determine which therapies will work best for a given athlete.

Liangong: Healing Exercises for Better Health by Wen Mei Yu

Liangong is a set of exercises for prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Use it to keep your joints and muscles in good shape and to speed up your recovery between workouts.

Listen to Your Pain: The Active Person’s Guide to Understanding, Identifying, and Treating Pain and Injury by Ben E. Benjamin

With this book, if you have hurt yourself, you can find out what your aches and pains mean and how to treat your injury.

Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders: Physical Therapy Principles and Methods by Darlene Hertling and Randolph M. Kessler

Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders should be read by every coach and athlete. Reading it can be the best injury prevention, making people aware of the significance of all the little symptoms felt days, weeks or even months before a major injury occurs. Athletes who are injured will find in this book the most effective exercises for self-mobilization and strengthening injured muscles. This excellent book should help an injured athlete evaluate qualifications of physical therapists or even design one’s own program of therapy.

Pain Erasure: The Bonnie Prudden Way by Bonnie Prudden

Pain Erasure teaches a method of pain relief for muscles damaged from injuries, poor posture, and the stresses of daily life. The method requires no special training or equipment and its simple techniques can be performed in the home. Reportedly it has an extraordinary 95 percent success rate.

The Sports Medicine Bible: Prevent, Detect, and Treat Your Sports Injuries Through the Latest Medical Techniques by Lyle J. Micheli

Sports Medicine Bible covers sports medicine including female-specific sports injuries, exercise and the elderly, and the causes and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries from foot to head.

Books on Mental Training and Sports Psychology

Tapping the Healer Within: Using Thought Field Therapy to Instantly Conquer Your Fears, Anxieties, and Emotional Distress by Roger J. Callahan with Richard Trubo

Complete do-it-yourself instructions on getting rid of anxieties, fears, phobias, self-sabotage, and addictions.

Most psychologists believe that a phobia or an anxiety has its cause in one’s personality disorder, so the personality has to be treated (for a long time and lots of money). There are psychologists, however, who believe that anxiety and phobias need not be related to personality but to physiological causes. For example, an athlete can acquire a performance anxiety if he or she practices a difficult technique often enough (in some cases one workout can be enough) with great fatigue or with some, even seemingly light, repeated trauma. Or if the practice or performance happens often enough when an athlete is not comfortable mentally or physically or under too much stress–sports-related or not.

In this book Dr. Callahan gives complete how-to instructions on breaking the association between physiological symptoms of stress and the object of anxiety or phobia. (An excellent explanation of this method is in Applied Kinesiology: Synopsis by Dr. Walther.)

Freedom from Fear Forever by Dr. James V. Durlacher

Complete how-to instructions based on Roger J. Callahan’s method for getting rid of anxieties, addictions, self-sabotage, fears, and phobias, but addressed mainly to therapists. One has to dig into the text to make up a short self-administered treatment. Nevertheless it complements information in Dr. Callahan’s book.

Gold Medal Mental Workout for Combat Sports SP by Dariusz Nowicki
(One CD includes Gold Medal Mental Workout for Combat Sports book in Adobe Acrobat format and recordings of 12 exercises, in both mp3 and iPod formats.)

Originally titled Gold Medal Mental Workout for Combat Sports: Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Karate, Kick-Boxing, Taekwondo, Wrestling is designed by Dariusz Nowicki, the best East European sports psychologist. This program has proved itself with Olympic and world championship victories.

“Nowicki’s mental workouts helped me to overcome fear and anxiety and gave me self-confidence.”
–Pawel Nastula, Gold at ’96 Olympics and ’95 World Championship (Judo)

“Gold Medal Mental Workout for Combat Sports helped me win two Olympic gold medals. I find it easier to conduct my mental training with GMMW than with any other program. GMMW gave me an excellent mindset for the Olympics.”
–Waldemar Legien, Gold at ’88 and ’92 Olympics (Judo)

In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life Through Mental Training by Terry Orlick

In Pursuit of Excellence shows how to turn ordinary competitors into winners. The author is an worldwide recognized sports psychologist.

Perception, Cognition, and Decision Training: The Quiet Eye in Action by Joan N. Vickers

How athletes control their gaze affects their performance–because the control of gaze is the control of attention. This book is about improving performance through control of the gaze.

Books on Nutrition

Optimal Nutrition SP by Jan Kwasniewski

For health and thus for optimal function, I follow Dr. Kwasniewski’s optimal diet as explained in his book Optimal Nutrition. The book gives good advice and many recipes.

Long before being acquainted with Dr. Kwasniewski’s work, I used Barry Sears’ advice from his first Zone book, but soon I discovered that I had to make adjustments to this diet to fit my needs: I had to decrease the amount of carbohydrate and protein and increase fat, especially saturated fat. What I arrived at turned out to be very similar to the way of eating Dr. Kwasniewski advises.

My views on nutrition are found in the following posts:

On Losing Weight and On Eating for Performance–Short and. . . .

Monkeys Eat Less, Live Longer–But Why? (see comments)

Does This Make My Arthritis Look. . . .

Thomas Kurz,
President of Stadion Publishing Company

Enter The Zone: A Dietary Road Map by Barry Sears with Bill Lawren

Enter the Zone tells how to achieve peak mental and physical performance and permanent fat loss through balancing protein, fat, and carbohydrate in the diet.

Mastering The Zone: The Next Step in Achieving SuperHealth and Permanent Fat Loss by Barry Sears and Mary Goodbody

Mastering the Zone is a sequel to Enter The Zone. It gives even more detailed information than Enter The Zone on designing diet for peak performance. It includes new recipes and compelling medical facts.

The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness by Philip Maffetone

The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness explains how to train and what to eat for consistent good health and high performance. This book has glowing reviews from Kent Johnson, strength and conditioning coach of Green Bay Packers, and from Anthony Robbins, best-selling author of motivational books.

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration demonstrates the importance of whole food nutrition, and the degeneration that comes from a diet of processed foods.

Videos on Training for Martial Arts and Sports

Acrobatic Tumbling: From Rolls to Handsprings and Somersaults SP by Dariusz Obrebski

This DVD shows all you need to know to learn tumbling skills or to teach them to your athletes.

Acrobatic Tumbling offers step-by-step instruction, explanations for typical errors, and spotting methods for the following acrobatic tumbling techniques:

Cartwheel on two hands and on one hand
Round-off
Front handspring
Back handspring, also called a flic flac
Aerial cartwheel
Front somersault, also called a front flip
Back somersault, also called a back flip

Flexibility Express SP by Thomas Kurz

Flexibility Express gives you flexibility and functional strength in no time. This easy-to-follow DVD offers a proven method of increasing your range of motion while increasing your strength—whatever your age or flexibility level.

Secrets of Stretching: Exercises for the Lower Body SP by Thomas Kurz

Secrets of Stretching DVD will make you an expert on stretching and flexibility and on combining strength and flexibility training of lower body (hips and legs).

Information on this DVD is vital for fighters and martial artists who want powerful kicks.

Power High Kicks with No Warm-Up! SP by Mac Mierzejewski

Power High Kicks shows you how to add height and devastating power to your cold kicks!
Learn the essential techniques that will let you kick high and with power without any warm-up!
Reduce your chance of injury! Learn exercises and drills that make sure your hips and knees don’t hurt when you throw high side and roundhouse kicks.

The author, Mac Mierzejewski, is a full-contact karate fighter and instructor. He holds a M.Sc. degree in Sports Medicine and a M.Sc. degree in Physical Therapy. Mac won full-contact European Championships Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama’s Asia-Pacific International Open Karate Tournament, Canadian Kyokushinkai Tournament.

The Athlete’s Bookshelf