Product Description

Now in its third edition, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is the most comprehensive reference available for strength and conditioning professionals. In this text, 30 expert contributors explore the scientific principles, concepts, and theories of strength training and conditioning as well as their applications to athletic performance.

Developed by the NSCA Certification Commission, the certifying agency of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is the most-preferred preparation text for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. The research-based approach, extensive exercise technique section, and unbeatable accuracy of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning make it the text readers have come to rely on for CSCS exam preparation.

The third edition presents the most current strength training and conditioning research and applications in a logical format designed for increased retention of key concepts. The text is organized into five sections. The first three sections provide a theoretical framework for application in section 4, the program design portion of the book. The final section offers practical strategies for administration and management of strength and conditioning facilities.

• Section 1 (chapters 1 through 10) presents key topics and current research in exercise physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, biomechanics, endocrinology, sport nutrition, and sport psychology and discusses applications for the design of safe and effective strength and conditioning programs.

• Section 2 (chapters 11 and 12) discusses testing and evaluation, including the principles of test selection and administration as well as the scoring and interpretation of results.

• Section 3 (chapters 13 and 14) provides techniques for warm-up, stretching, and resistance training exercises. For each exercise, accompanying photos and instructions guide readers in the correct execution and teaching of stretching and resistance training exercises. This section also includes a set of eight new dynamic stretching exercises.

• Section 4 examines the design of strength training and conditioning programs. The information is divided into three parts: anaerobic exercise prescription (chapters 15 through 17), aerobic endurance exercise prescription (chapter 18), and periodization and rehabilitation (chapters 19 and 20). Step-by-step guidelines for designing resistance, plyometric, speed, agility, and aerobic endurance training programs are shared. Section 4 also includes detailed descriptions of how principles of program design and periodization can be applied to athletes of various sports and experience levels. Within the text, special sidebars illustrate how program design variables can be applied to help athletes attain specific training goals.

• Section 5 (chapters 21 and 22) addresses organization and administration concerns of the strength training and conditioning facility manager, including facility design, scheduling, policies and procedures, maintenance, and risk management.

Chapter objectives, key points, key terms, and self-study questions provide a structure to help readers organize and conceptualize the information. Unique application sidebars demonstrate how scientific facts can be translated into principles that assist athletes in their strength training and conditioning goals.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning also offers new lecture preparation materials. The instructor guide includes new student lab activities that instructors can assign to students. The instructor guide also provides course syllabi and tips for planning and teaching. The PowerPoint presentation package features full-color slides of illustrations from the text and includes tables, key concepts, and a complete lecture-discussion outline for each chapter. These tools can be downloaded online and are free to instructors who adopt the text for use in their courses.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Third Edition, provides the latest and most comprehensive information on the structure and function of body systems, training adaptations, testing and evaluation, exercise techniques, program design, and organization and administration of facilities. Its accuracy and reliability make it not only the leading preparation resource for the CSCS exam but also the definitive reference that strength and conditioning professionals and sports medicine specialists depend on to fine-tune their practice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1415 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 641 pages

About the Author
Thomas R. Baechle, EdD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, is chair of the exercise science and athletic training department at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. In his career covering more than 35 years as a fitness professional and academician, Baechle has earned numerous certifications and awards, taught at various universities, held a variety of professional and civic offices, and volunteered for many national and international associations and organizations related to fitness and personal health.

Baechle is widely published and lectures frequently. His recent honors include receiving the Outstanding Writing Achievement Award from Human Kinetics in 2007, Merit for Excellence in Education and Development of Professional Standards from the International Fitness Institute in 2006, the Distinguished Faculty Service Award from Creighton University in 2002, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NSCA in 1998.

Baechle makes his home with his wife, Susan, in Omaha.

Roger W. Earle, MA, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, earned his master's degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in exercise science. He is the associate executive director for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certification Commission, where he is responsible for developing the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT) certification exams. Previously Earle served as the head strength and conditioning coach and a faculty member of the exercise science and athletic training department at Creighton University in Omaha.

Earle has over 20 years of experience as a personal fitness trainer for people of all age and fitness levels, and he frequently gives lectures at national and international conferences about designing personalized exercise and training programs. He coauthored the first and second editions of Fitness Weight Training and coedited both the NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training and the first and second editions of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.

Earle enjoys spending time with his wife, Tonya, and their four daughters at their home in Glendale, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Not a fan
Read: Supertraining, anything written by Russian coaches, and Univ. of Pittsburgh's physical preparation page. Frankly, this book is pathetic.

essentials of strength training and conditioning
great book. anybody interested in the field of strength and conditioning NEEDS to get this book

what a book!
I needed this book for a class, but I'm so glad I've got it. I have purchased many books to help improve my knowledge in this area, but this is one of the best. Very easy to read; chapters are very digestible. The chapters continue to build on one another rather than taking one topic and then dropping it for the rest of the text.