Thomas R. Baechle - Weight Training-4th Edition: Steps to Success

G et ready to climb a staircaseone that will lead you to become stronger, more fit, and more knowledgeable about weight training. You cannot leap to the top, but you can reach it by climbing one step at a time.

Research by sporting goods manufacturers acknowledges that weight training, with over 50 million participants, is the single most popular type of fitness training activity in the United States. The reason for this popularity is quite simple. The results are quick, and they dramatically contribute to improved strength, muscle tone, body reproportioning, appearance, and health. Unfortunately, not many books on the subject are written so that an inexperienced person can easily understand the information and use it with confidence. Terminology is often confusing, explanations are unclear, and readers are expected to understand too much information at one time. The approach taken in this book does not assume that one explanation or illustration is enough to allow readers to become knowledgeable about and skilled at weight training concepts and exercises. Instead, carefully developed procedures and drills accompany each step and provide you with ample practice and self-assessment opportunities.

This book focuses on two primary areas. First, it helps you learn common weight training exercises that are used in a well-balanced training program. Second, it provides the knowledge you need to design your own weight training program. We begin by describing how your body will respond to weight training and the importance of good nutrition. These discussions are followed by important information regarding how to prepare to start training and how to safely use various types of weight training equipment. Building on this foundation of information, we introduce basic lifting and spotting techniques and exercises and follow them with descriptions of techniques specific to the exercises recommended in this book. Great care has been taken to introduce new information and higher training intensities gradually. For instance, you will start out lifting lighter training loads (weight) while you are learning proper exercise technique. Later, after you have mastered the exercises, you will progress to heavier loads. Organizing and sequencing exercises and loads in this manner offers you the best opportunity to learn how to perform the exercises without fear of injury, and it provides an excellent opportunity to realize dramatic improvements in muscular endurance, strength, body composition, and your overall fitness level. Exercises designed to develop a specific muscle area are described in prepares you for the exciting challenge of designing your own weight training program.

You will find that the practice procedures and drills included in this text are unique and provide an effective approach to explaining and understanding the content and skills of weight training. The step-by-step explanations and self-assessment activities make this book the easiest guide to weight training.

In addition, this new edition includes an expanded discussion of the physiological effects of training, more exercises, a new section on core training, updated references, and exciting variations of the previous practice and learning activities by making them more streamlined and easier to use. Also, new exercises have been added, and they will challenge you to develop a higher level of skill, making this text appropriate for those new to weight training as well as those who are more experienced and better trained.