Bodybuilding books

[GirlyMuscle]

List them. What have you read? What would you recommend? Which are your favorites?

Besides the obvious....Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding, Weidner's Ultimate Bodybuilding...

Some of mine are...

Non-fiction
Sliced by Negrita Jayde
Supervixen by Negrita Jayde
Body for Life by Bill Phillips (BB 101 if ya ask me...where everyone should start)
Pefect Parts by Rachel McLish
Real Bodybuilding by Ron Harris


Fiction
Chemical Pink by Katie Arnoldi

Biography
Gorilla Suit by Bob Paris
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Sam Fussell
Flexibility by Flex Wheeler

I've probably got 20-30 more books on my shelves but this will get us started.

[KEVDIESEL]

Arnold Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding and Frank Zane Mind, Body Spirit. It's a pretty cool journal with a lot of frank's personal thoughts and reflections on his training with some of the legends.

[GirlyMuscle]

I tried to read Frank Zane once. He's too "out there" for me. I like to read Dave Draper too but I have to be in the right frame of mind.

[KEVDIESEL]

He is little out there lol. Draper is great, his website is very informative with some nice old school training splits.

[Darcane]

The collection of books that I have read include:

Flexibility
Extreme Muscle Enhancement
Body Rx
Precontest Bible
Body for life

I have some more sitting on the shelf waiting to be read.

GirlyMuscle how was Ron Harris' book? I've been meaning to pick it up just haven't done it yet.

[GirlyMuscle]

I loved Ron's book. Easy read and honest info. If you're pretty advanced/experienced a lot of it will be redundant info but I loved his honesty about bodybuilding. I also enjoy his writing style. I'm not a big reader...poor attention span...but he kept my attentions.

[MAYOR OF BODYBUILDING]

Education of a bodybuilder by ARNOLD!

[ThePoser]

Education of a bodybuilder by ARNOLD!

Probably still one of the best!

I recently read Rick Wayne's "Muscle Wars". Finished it in one sitting. Very entertaining!

[GirlyMuscle]

Anyone read Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors yet?

[militantmuscle]

Body Rx
Chemical Muscle Enhancement
Bodyopus
The Modern Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding (I think everyone has read this one)
Mike Mentzer's books
Anabolics
Steroid Nation

These are my favorites, that are strictly in the bodybuilding genre.

[Mike Hunt]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GFH9FDEAL._SL500_.jpg

[Mike Marcano]

Chris Aceto's Championship Bodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know about Fat Loss are two must reads! I am in the Middle of BodyOPus and Ron Harris Real Bodybuilding. Have also read MUSCLE:Tale of an Unlikely Bodybuilder....one of the best autobiography's I've ever read! Got a few more books I'll look on the shelf too lazy to look now....gotta save energy for training and cardio! LOL!

[ZacharyKane]

I've been trying to find Gorilla Suit for awhile now, but since its out of print I'm having a hell of a time finding it for a decent price

[Nic Brunicardi]

I have:

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
Stuart McRobert - Brawn
Peter Neff - Natural Bodybuilding
Dr. Warren Willey - Better Than Steroids
Ironman's Ultimate Guide To Bodybuilding Nutrition
Ironman's Ultimate Bodybuilding Encyclopedia

[Jer]

"High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way"


I also liked "Steroid Nation".

[2manytoyz]

I really enjoyed Steroid Nation

[poiuyt]

Burn the Fat - Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto

[Outlaw53]

I can't believe no one's mention "3 More Reps". Best Bodybuilding books ever.

I enjoyed "Gorilla Suit" too and Bill Pearls "Keys to the Inner Universe" is the best weight training guide, especially for home trainers, there's some weird-arsed exercises in there.

For what it's worth I thought Frank Zane's "Mind Body Spirit" was shithouse.
I picked it up for $2 at a bargain-book sale and I still feel ripped off. :mad:

[Mutant]

Most of the books I have have all been mentioned. But, I did receive a new book as a Christmas gift. It is called "Muscle Chow".

Normally I wouldnt buy a book like that, but it has some good recipes, and cooking ideas in it. If you are competative, then you most likely get sick of eating the same stuff day after day.

[kraken]

"Keys to the Inner Universe" and "Beyond the Universe" - Bill Pearl
"Strength Training Anatomy" - Frederic Delavier
"Dinosaur Strength Training" - Brooks Kubik
"Underground Bodyopus" - Dan Duchaine
Don't feel like typing the rest.

[wittleguy]

West Coast Bodybuilding Scene-Dave Draper

[wittleguy]

oh and of course the Arnold Encyclopedia

[GirlyMuscle]

I didn't know Bill Pearl wrote books. Sounds like the kind I'd be into too.

[InfinityCrisis6]

I'm reading Mike Mentzer's book and so far it is a very good read. A lot of thought went into it.

[kraken]

I didn't know Bill Pearl wrote books. Sounds like the kind I'd be into too.
"Keys..." is very in depth as far as showing various moves for each bodypart. About 700 pages give or take- I don't have it handy.
"Beyond..." is a sort of an auto-biography.

[Lunaris]

http://i9.tinypic.com/6o45pvs.jpg

[kenmills]

Arnold Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding
Jay Cutler Muscle CEO
Ron Coleman Hardcore

[Outlaw53]

I didn't know Bill Pearl wrote books. Sounds like the kind I'd be into too.
As Kraken said, "Keys" is a very in-depth training encyclopedia.
There are hardly any photos, all the exercise are shown with illustrated diagrams.
Probably why it is not as popular as other books, no glossy photos.

There are over 70 pages just for Bicep exercises alone, so he's pretty much named every exercise ever invented!
It's sells for around $100 here in Australia, so it's fairly pricey.

He has another book called "Getting Stronger" which covers bodybuilding exercises for other sports such as football etc, it's pretty good too.

[The Thinker]

List them. What have you read? What would you recommend? Which are your favorites?

Besides the obvious....Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding, Weidner's Ultimate Bodybuilding...

Some of mine are...

Non-fiction
Sliced by Negrita Jayde
Supervixen by Negrita Jayde
Body for Life by Bill Phillips (BB 101 if ya ask me...where everyone should start)
Pefect Parts by Rachel McLish
Real Bodybuilding by Ron Harris


Fiction
Chemical Pink by Katie Arnoldi

Biography
Gorilla Suit by Bob Paris
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Sam Fussell
Flexibility by Flex Wheeler

I've probably got 20-30 more books on my shelves but this will get us started.

That's a pretty damn good list. I agree 100% on Sliced.

[Outlaw53]

I didn't know Bill Pearl wrote books. Sounds like the kind I'd be into too.
I'm surprised that you didn't nominate a book called "The Women" by Bill Dobbins.
There are some beautiful "arty" type photos in it of female bodybuilders that I'm sure you would appreciate.
It was published back in the early 90's I think.

[Curt James]

List them. What have you read? What would you recommend? Which are your favorites?

Besides the obvious....Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding, Weidner's Ultimate Bodybuilding...

Some of mine are...

Non-fiction
Sliced by Negrita Jayde
Supervixen by Negrita Jayde
Body for Life by Bill Phillips (BB 101 if ya ask me...where everyone should start)
Pefect Parts by Rachel McLish
Real Bodybuilding by Ron Harris


Fiction
Chemical Pink by Katie Arnoldi

Biography
Gorilla Suit by Bob Paris
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Sam Fussell
Flexibility by Flex Wheeler

I've probably got 20-30 more books on my shelves but this will get us started.

I own those two.

Great thread. Count me in.

One of my first (and most favorite) bb books was Lou Ravelle's Bodybuilding for Everyone.

[Curt James]

I've been trying to find Gorilla Suit for awhile now, but since its out of print I'm having a hell of a time finding it for a decent price

Are you sure? I saw that at a local Borders recently. :confused:

Maybe they've had their copy there for years.

[GirlyMuscle]

I got Gorilla Suit at a Half Price Books a couple of years ago. Try amazon. I got Romano's Muscle Meals there, even though it's out of print. Someday I'm gonna get him to sign it.

[InfinityCrisis6]

I've been trying to find Gorilla Suit for awhile now, but since its out of print I'm having a hell of a time finding it for a decent price

did you try www.half.com .. its a sister company to ebay that mainly sells books. in or out of print. I Find most of my siblings and Girlfriend's college books here for cheap. I would search there.

[Mouse]

Back in the day had a lot of the books listed. I actually used diets from Sliced to do my first "contest" diet

High Intensity Training was another I had at one time.

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/14860000/14867087.JPG

[diesel]

Hey John what about your Cook Book you had over at um...another Company...I thought you had some good recipes in there...

[KingDeathMetal]

Arnold's Encyclopedia, the obvious! Don't have any other books on the subject, and I mostly have martial arts books. I'll definitely check out some of the above.

[musclegoddess65]

Drapers Brother Iron Sister Steel
Draper's Your Body Revival
Judy Kalvin Stiefel - Defining Woman

[Gundill]

Here is probably the best selling bodybuilding book all over the world.
It is sad no one mentioned it

[mikeheeney]

West Coast Bodybuilding Scene-Dave Draper

one of my fav books too

[Curt James]

West Coast Bodybuilding Scene-Dave Draper

Dave wrote the captions to all the amazing pics and the text was a compilation of columns/articles by Weider scribe, Dick Tyler.

Awesome book!

[Wiry Pyruvity]

Anyone read Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors yet?

I have been trying to track it down at a library...Carl Lenore of Super Human Radio fame cannot say enough about it...and from the interviews, Randy Roach seems like a pretty fascinating guy...

read Steroid nation...the only thing missing was that Assail didn't really capture the 'feel' of those Sunday school sessions that John talked about with Zumpano...

vaguely related...read Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill...a good suvey of nutrition in general...will make you an EFA junkie.

[needtogetaas]

I read Arnold's encyclopedia of bodybuilding, Weidner's Ultimate Bodybuilding of course. Still have my copies right here. I read a few e-books like bottom line body building.
I of course have taken an interest in books more like Muscle chow,burn the fat feed the muscle, Mike murphys mass only cook book, And of course My book Anabolic kitchen.

[Curt James]

Here is probably the best selling bodybuilding book all over the world.
It is sad no one mentioned it

But someone did mention it: You!

And that cover art is modeled after Dennis Newman (http://musclememory.com/show.php?s=dennis+newman&g=M), 1994 overall winner at the NPC USA Championships.

[Sledge]

I have been trying to track it down at a library...Carl Lenore of Super Human Radio fame cannot say enough about it...and from the interviews, Randy Roach seems like a pretty fascinating guy...

read Steroid nation...the only thing missing was that Assail didn't really capture the 'feel' of those Sunday school sessions that John talked about with Zumpano...

vaguely related...read Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill...a good suvey of nutrition in general...will make you an EFA junkie.


I have it, but I havn't started reading it yet I'll post a review when i do.

[Yolo]

I liked Pavel Tsatsouline's "Beyond bodybuilding" a lot.

[the mighty stu]

Hmnnn did no one mention (or did I miss it) Extreme Muscle Enhancement by Carlon Colker? I actually thought it summed up a lot of things very well.

S

[Curt James]

Last night I picked up Body by Science by Doug McGuff, M.D., and John Little.

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Science-Research-Program-Results/dp/0071597174

Oh, and Jay Cutler's CEO Muscle was a good read.

[ElSpiko]

I just found a big hardcover copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Portrait by George Butler. I'd never even heard of it, the copy I had is in English but was printed and bound in West Germany and it's absolutely beautiful. It has a lot fo photos I'd never seen before. Definitely a great find. I found it in the same used book store that I found a copy of Pumping Iron in two years ago:D