There are hundereds of books published on fitness and muscle building, and all are good. It was not easy to pick ”Best books on fitness and muscle building of all time”, but here we are listing our top 5 picks:
- Bigger Leaner Stronger
- The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
- Strength Training Anatomy
- The Fitness Mindset
- The First 20 Minutes
- Bigger Leaner Stronger
Is this a bodybuilding book that can help you pack on brain-shrinking amounts of muscle in 30 days flat?
No.
Is it a fitness book full of dubious diet and exercise “hacks” and “shortcuts” for melting belly fat faster than a roided hornet?
Absolutely not.
But is it an exercise book (and nutrition book) that’ll show you exactly how to eat and exercise to gain 25-to-35 pounds of lean muscle and lose just as much fat (or even more)?
Yes. And faster than you probably think possible.
Because here’s the deal:
Muscle building and fat loss aren’t nearly as complicated as you’ve been led to believe.
- You don’t need to: Obsess over “clean eating” and avoiding “unhealthy” foods like sugar, meat, and bread. Some foods are more nutritious and should be eaten more frequently than others. That’s it.
- You don’t need to: Spend a couple hours in the gym every day grinding through punishing strength training workouts. Sweating buckets, getting really sore, training until bone-tired . . . all wholly overrated for gaining muscle and strength.
- You don’t need to: Slog away on the treadmill. In fact, you don’t need to do any cardio exercise at all to shed ugly belly fat and even get six-pack abs.
Those are just a few of the harmful fitness lies and myths that keep guys from ever achieving the lean, muscular, and strong body they truly desire.
And Bigger Leaner Stronger will teach you something that most men will never know:
How to transform your body while eating the foods you like and doing a few challenging (but not grueling) strength training workouts per week. Oh and cardio exercise? Completely optional.
Here are just a few of the things you’ll discover inside this workout book for men:
- The 10 biggest fitness myths and mistakes that keep guys weak, fat, and confused. For example, “calories are all that matters,” “carbs and sugars make you fat,” and “some guys don’t have the genetics to get big.”
- The primary driver of muscle growth that forces your muscles to get bigger and stronger. And no, it has nothing to do with “muscle confusion,” “functional training,” or any other pseudoscientific fitness nonsense.
- How to create meal plans for building muscle and losing fat with foods you love so you never feel starved, deprived, or like you’re “on a diet” (and especially a “bodybuilding diet”).
- 12 months of paint-by-numbers resistance training workouts for building a full chest, wide back, powerful legs, and bulging arms . . . in only 3-to-5 hours of weight training per week.
- A no-BS guide to fitness supplements that’ll save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on useless (and sometimes even dangerous) pills, powders, and potions.
And that’s not all, either . . .
- 338 peer-reviewed scientific studies support the Bigger Leaner Stronger system of eating, training, and recovering for losing fat and building muscle and strength.
- Bigger Leaner Stronger has sold over 600,000 copies in 16 different languages and is regularly revised based on the latest findings in nutrition and exercise research (four editions released and counting!).
The bottom line is you can get that head-turning “Hollywood hunk” body without following a bland, boring, bodybuilding diet and without doing exhausting weightlifting workouts you hate. And this exercise book shows you how.
Get your copy now, and start your journey to a bigger, leaner, and stronger you.
2. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
From elite bodybuilding competitors to gymnasts, from golfers to fitness gurus, anyone who works out with weights must own this book—a book that only Arnold Schwarzenegger could write, a book that has earned its reputation as “the bible of bodybuilding.”
Inside, Arnold covers the very latest advances in both weight training and bodybuilding competition, with new sections on diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, and methods of training, each illustrated with detailed photos of some of bodybuilding’s newest stars.
Plus, all the features that have made this book a classic are here:
-Arnold’s tried-and-true tips for sculpting, strengthening, and defining each and every muscle to create the ultimate buff physique.
-The most effective methods of strength training to stilt your needs, whether you’re an amateur athlete or a pro bodybuilder preparing for a competition.
-Comprehensive information on health, nutrition, and dietary supplements to help you build muscle, lose fat, and maintain optimum energy.
-Expert advice on the prevention and treatment of sports-related injuries.
-Strategies and tactics for competitive bodybuilders from selecting poses to handling publicity.
-The fascinating history and growth of bodybuilding as a sport, with a photographic “Bodybuilding Hall of Fame”.
-And, of course, Arnold’s individual brand of inspiration and motivation throughout.
Covering every level of expertise and experience, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding will help you achieve your personal best. With his unique perspective as a seven-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title and all international film star, Arnold shares his secrets to dedication, training, and commitment, and shows you how to take control of your body and realize your own potential for greatness.
3. Strength Training Anatomy
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.
Check here on Amazon.
4. The Fitness Mindset
How would it feel to have the body you’ve always wanted, a huge boost in energy, and the mindset to keep it forever? Have you ever felt frustrated about not getting the results you want? Do you feel you are eating the right foods and doing the correct workouts but your body still isn’t changing as quickly as you want? Are you grinding through your workday with low energy levels, praying for the next day off so you can sleep in? If this sounds familiar, then The Fitness Mindset is the audiobook for you. The Fitness Mindset gives you everything you need to get the body you’ve always dreamed of, ramp your energy levels through the roof and develop the mindset to keep it forever.
When you listen to this audiobook and implement Brian’s proven strategies, you will:
- Know exactly what foods work best for you and how to eat to increase energy, lose fat and build lean muscle,
- Learn how to combine tension-style workouts and high intensity interval training (hiit) to build the body you’ve always wanted,
- Build better habits and find your ‘why’ so you never lose motivation again,
- Develop strategies to minimise stress, anxiety and the fear of rebounding so you can create a bulletproof body and mind,
- Finally get into the best physical and mental shape of your life.
5. The First 20 Minutes
Every Wednesday, Gretchen Reynolds singlehandedly influences how millions of Americans work out. In her Phys Ed column for The New York Times, she debunks myths, spurs conversation, and creates arguments among her readers by questioning widely held beliefs about exercise.
Expanding upon her popular columns, Reynolds tackles the questions we all have and (sometimes) ask about exercise. Consulting experts in physiology, biology, psychology, neurology, and sports, she uncovers how often we should exercise, how long workouts should be, how to avoid injury, and how to find the right form, routine, and equipment for our goals.
She also reveals some surprising answers, like:
- 20 minutes of cardio at a time is enough to obtain maximum health benefits. (And in some cases, just six minutes is all you need.)*
- Stretching before a workout is counterproductive. (It’s better to just start easy, i.e., walk before you run.)
- Core strength is nice but not necessary. (A six-pack looks great but actually has little bearing on performance.)
- Walking improves your memory; housecleaning improves your mood. (The brain is like a muscle – it likes to exercise.)
- Chocolate milk is better than Gatorade for recovery. (Providing the best sports nutrition is often the simplest.)
Drawing on scientific expertise as well as her own athletic experiences, Gretchen Reynolds will help you find the right workout for your body, age, fitness and goals. Whether your desire is to be fit for the rest of your life, to look great in a smaller dress size, or to run your third marathon in Boston, The First 20 Minutes will make your workouts work for you.