Strength Training Anatomy-3rd Edition (Sports Anatomy)

Over 1 million copies sold! With new exercises, additional stretches, and more of Frédéric Delavier’s signature illustrations, you’ll gain a whole new understanding of how muscles perform during strength exercises. This one-of-a-kind best-seller combines the visual detail of top anatomy texts with the best of strength training advice.

Many books explain what muscles are used during exercise, but no other resource brings the anatomy to life like Strength Training Anatomy. Over 600 full-color illustrations reveal the primary muscles worked along with all the relevant surrounding structures, including bones, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue.

Like having an X-ray for each exercise, the anatomical depictions show both superficial and deep layers and detail how various setup positions affect muscle recruitment and emphasize underlying structures. New pages show common strength training injuries in a fascinating light and offer precautions to help you exercise safely.

Author and illustrator Frédéric Delavier is the former editor in chief of the French publication PowerMag. He is a journalist for Le Monde du Muscle and a contributor to Men’s Health Germany and several other strength training publications.

The book is broken down into seven major muscle groups: arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs, buttocks, and abdomen. Within each muscle group are multiple exercises, each comprised of detailed anotomical illustrations, instructions on performing the exercises, and key information such as variations (for specific focus on particular muscles) and warnings (to aviod injury).

Using this book, one could easily select a variety of exercises to build a total body workout program. The selection of exercises also allows for some routine variation to keep one's workout from getting stale.

The illustrations are of an exellent quality, as are the materials. The pages are of heavyweight paper, with a semi-glossy finish.

Although I rated this title highly, I did so with the understanding that it suits a very specific purpose, and is not a general purpose introduction or guide to weight training. This is an ANATOMY REFERENCE, specific to selected weight training exercises. It does not contain any other information concerning weight training, diet, exercise, etc. In fact, there is not even a brief introduction by the author, simply the reference material itself. But, in terms of its intended purpose, it is an excellent reference. If you already have some sort of "Bodybuilding Encyclopedia", you probably already posess much of the information contained in this title. Having no interest in the history, self-promotion, and general testosterone driven attitudes of many of those types of titles (as well as the phonebook sized package), I much prefer this concise book as an exercise reference.


Indispensable!   December 12, 2002
MarvelousMarla (Way down in Dixie)
101 out of 135 found this review helpful

I buy lots of fitness and strength training books, and this one is by far the best I've purchased. The book may look small, but it provides an extensive listing of exercises and includes tips about variations that will change how you work each muscle. This is important for a couple of reasons.

To maximize your gains in the gym, you have to constantly change your program so that your body doesn't hit a plateau. Regularly incorporating new exercises will also keep you from becoming bored with your workout. This book will show you how using a rope attachment with the pulley works a different part of the triceps as opposed to doing bench dips or doing a kickback. Also, the illustrations show you the auxiliary muscles that are recruited during compound movements like presses and deadlifts.

At first I was worried that the book might be too much for me to absorb, but it's not because the author does not get overly-technical with the explanations. The text is concise, yet thorough, and the pictures are highly detailed.

This is a wonderful reference book, and I highly recommend it.


Great learning tool   July 6, 2002
Mark (Oklahoma)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I bought this book because it's hard to find a strength training book that isn't full of oversized bodybuilders talking strictly about building HUGE muscles. This book is perfect for the average person who just wants a scientific explanation of which muscles do what and the proper strength training technique to use for each. I found almost all common exercises included, and they are easily organized by body part.


A Must-Read if You Lift Weights   July 30, 2006
Susanna Hutcheson (Midwest U.S.A.)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I'm very impressed with this useful book. I've lifted weights for a long time and I appreciate knowing how best to work certain muscles. I also like to do lifts that are easy on former injuries but still work the muscles. This is a perfect book for that.

Knowing what muscles your exercises use is critical to someone serious about gaining strength and building muscle. This book has those answers and is very easy to read and understand.

The book is the best one for both men and women. The author's book for women only deals with the lower part of a woman. News flash . . . we have an upper part too. And furthermore, we care about it just as much as our butts and thighs.

This books covers it all and also has drawings of women as well as men. It's really a great book and if you lift weights (and you should) this book is something you really should have.

It gives you instructions for all of the exercises you'll need and it shows exactly what muscle groups or muscle it works. It helps you avoid injury as well.

A great book. I highly recommend it to both men and women.