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U.P. Fitness Book Recommendations

EXERCISE AND FITNESS

TITLE: The Poliquin Principles
AUTHOR: Charles Poliquin

If there is just one author whom I could endorse for intelligent prose and interesting ideas on exercise protocols, then it has to be Coach Poliquin. A man doesn’t become the most successful strength and conditioning coach in the world by accident, and the Poliquin Principles imparts information and concepts that have been repeatedly and successfully tried, tested and refined on literally hundreds, if not thousands, of world class professional athletes.

I must have read this book on half a dozen different occasions and I still refer back to it now. It is THE classic tome for anybody looking to take their training to the next level and build some serious strength and muscle.

TITLE: Perfect Posture: The Basis of Power
AUTHOR: Michael Colgan

Colgan is an old pro who has been dispensing sage advice since way back in the 1980s. All of his books are worth reading and I even recall his wonderful columns from Muscular Development magazine before it went 100% down the bodybuilding route. Always ahead of his time, Colgan explains in this highly affordable little book the myriad of physical benefits that can be achieved by improving the posture.

TITLE: Athletic Body in Balance
AUTHOR: Gray Cook

THE seminal text for anyone looking at achieving a balanced and properly coordinated body. The tests in this book are now the standard that all coaches and trainers should use.

TITLE: Functional Training for Sports
AUTHOR: Mike Boyle

This is a first class guide to functional fitness. If you are unsure of the best exercise movement patterns for your sport then look no further than this book.

TITLE: Periodization Training for Sports
AUTHOR: Tudor Bompa

Written by one of the world’s foremost experts in exercise science and the long range planning (periodisation) of strength and conditioning programmes this is book sets out the optimal ways to peak in sports by manipulating six different training phases: anatomical adaptation, hypertrophy, maximum strength, conversion to power, maintenance, and transition. A fabulous conditioning planner for coaches & athletes in 32 sports, with ready-made training schedules, it is a must read for any serious sportsperson.

TITLE: Serious Strength Training
AUTHOR: Tudor Bompa

The book that told us how to plan to be strong. Bompa learned from the Eastern Bloc and brought the West groundbreaking theories.

TITLE: The Art of Expressing the Human Body
AUTHOR: Bruce Lee

This book draws on Lee’s own notes, letters, diaries and training logs to present the full extent of his training methods. They include nutrition, aerobics, isometrics, stretching, and weight training advice, and represent a unique insight into the mind of a true Master.

NUTRITION

TITLE: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
AUTHOR: Jonny Bowden

An absolute gem of a book that goes into precise yet easy to read detail on the best foods out there. It is a fascinating read even for us so called experts and a text that can be used for constant reference. One reviewer wrote –

“If you want to understand what you’re eating, its properties and how it affects your body, this well-considered book is a must-have”.

We couldn’t express it any better ourselves.

TITLE: The Paleo Diet
AUTHOR: Loren Cordain

An essential treatise on the whys and wherefores of what our DNA dictates that we should eat. If you can accept that mankind was not intended to eat processed garbage and genetically induced “food” then this book will make for one of the most interesting reads of your life.

TITLE: Good Calories, Bad Calories
AUTHOR: Gary Taubes

This is THE book on why all calories are NOT created equal. We cannot recommend this book highly enough for its incisive information and intelligent analysis. Along with the Paleo Diet, this is a must read for anyone who seeks to educate themselves in modern nutritional thinking.

TITLE: Healing with the Herbs of Life
AUTHOR: Lesley Tierra

A (quite literally if you take the advice to heart) stimulating read on the increasingly acknowledged power of herbs. Less tree hugging and more practical application.

TITLE: The Whole Soy Story
AUTHOR: Kaalya Daniel

Only read this book if you want to have your eyes opened to the power of pressure groups and global conglomerates. The bottom line here is that not all things that seem to be good for us are what they are claimed to be.

TITLE: Cortisol Connection Diet
AUTHOR: Shawn Talbot

Stress is the plague of our modern age. We can’t seem to escape the pressures of life no matter what we do. Talbot expands on the wonderful theory of “why zebras don’t get ulcers” and gives a myriad of useful advice on how to live a healthier and better life.

TITLE: The Great Cholesterol Con
AUTHOR: Malcolm Kendrick

You will be surprised at the twists and turns that the medical profession, in conjunction with the large pharmaceutical companies, has taken to preserve the illusion that high cholesterol is a predictor of heart disease. The most startling evidence is that low cholesterol levels are a robust predictor of the risk of dying prematurely.

Information is power and knowledge is the means by which you can wield that power. You deserve the opportunity to take control of your own health… which is far better than letting a drug company decide how you will live your life.

MIND & SPIRIT

TITLE: The Essential Vince Lombardi
AUTHOR: Vince Lombardi

Need a pep talk? Temporarily lacking the old get up and go? These are words that would inspire a hibernating dormouse!

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