Posted on October 04, 2016 by Jenny Cromack

For those that know me, I enjoy a good read, whilst I don’t think you’ll be interested in the journals I’m interested in, here are my top 10 fitness book recommendations for those working towards a fitness objective. Be warned, not all are easy reads, some will require some sticking power, but keep with it there are some great lessons and knowledge bombs.

fitness book recommendations

  1. Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology (Martini) – a clear text that walks you through all of the key fundamentals of the human body, paying particular attention to energy systems. It will help you identify bogus exercise regimes, pieces of equipment, and nutritional supplements.
  2. Thinking Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman) – This has to be one of the best books I’ve read this year, the detailed exploration of decision making processes, attention, and statistical bias has direct application to all walks of life. It’s not a fluffy read and has great evidence-based theory attached.
  3. Periodisation (Bompa) -A lot of the theory is founded on key scientific principals, however it is biased to a set methodology of training. Read it with an open mind, more recent research suggests that training variability maybe a superior approach to periodisation, however the jury is out for now.
  4. Sport Nutrition (Jeukendrup Gleeson) – A fantastic foundation read on overall nutrition. Great explanation of key macronutrients, their application, timings, amounts, calculations and theory.
  5. Motor Learning and Control. Concepts and Applications (Magill) –This is a fantastic insight to movement learning, however it can be a hard read, it’s well worth the effort though. Learn the importance of movement quality, attention, and very interestingly memory.
  6. The Sport Of Olympic Style Weightlifting (Miller) – Some great insight from one of the most famous coaches of our time about loading programs, exercise selection, and the importance of marginal gains.
  7. Hormones And Resistance (Selye) – whilst Selye liked to torture rats, exploring stress processes, most of the principals of training adaptation are founded on his key principals.
  8. Hand Biomechanics. Assessment Of Reach To Grasp Techniques (Tamara) – Okay this is a little irrelevant, but its really interesting, the complexities of movement in the hand is something we should all stop and wonder at.
  9. The Origin of Species By Means Of Natural Selection. (Darwin) – Again it holds no direct relevance, but its a fascinating read.
  10. Development Of The Nervous System (Reh) – A great text taking you from the early research to present day theory and evidence. For a book on neural development its a fun read.

So there you have it, my top 10 fitness books! Happy reading!