Strength Training Anatomy: Book Review

Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier

Amazon Link: Strength Training Anatomy (Sports Anatomy)

I bought this book for £13.99 at my local Waterstones. I was looking for Starting Strength, but that was unavailable and this one caught my eye.

Basically it is split into sections for bodyparts; Arms, Shoulders, Legs, Back, Buttocks and Abdomen. Each section contains around 15-20 exercises which may be performed on free weights or machines and there are some excellent illustrations with clearly marked muscle names. The illustrations of the person performing the exercise is drawn so that you can see the muscle fibres and clearly understand what is going on under the surface.

 

One of my personal favourite parts of this book is its attention to the possibilities of injury, with full reasoning and explanation as to why certain movements are not advised. Take for example the "dips" which engage the chest and triceps. In this book it explains that you should keep your head position in line with your spine, as the stress of the exercise itself can cause indirect pressure on the neck.

There are also more in depth explanations of health risks, such as the damage that may be caused to the knee joint during leg exercises. These are brightly marked with a yellow page and also fully determine the scientific facts behind the scenes.

Female readers may also be  drawn to this book as it not only shows the female body for many of the examples, but also goes into further detail, such as the reasoning behind rotation of the hips and the differences to men and why certain exercises may be easier or more difficult based on the physiology of the two sexes.

Although this book focuses solely on exercises and the motor functions of the human body, you cant fault its depth and completeness.

I am sure this will be a good read for those just starting out, and a great reference to pick up and absorb nuggets of information along the course of a fitness lifestyle.

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