Customer Reviews

Science and Practice of Strength Training

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4 star:		(3)
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Zatsiorsky's book is a well presented foundation for learning the concepts behind strength training. The book is primarily directed towards a coach's perspective, but anyone can benefit from it.

The textbook layout is straightforward and includes data gathered from trained athletes. It begins with some basics of strength conditioning. Less knowledgable readers will benefit from these first chapters. The book then progresses to cover training, timing and exercising. Zatsiorsky includes some decent ideas about injury prevention as well.

Overall, it's not an excyclopedia with all the answers. The goal is not to provide generic routines for readers, but to provide the basis for readers to custom design their own routines. I've found this to be a very useful. My thanks to the author.

P.S. Thanks for your recommendation, Louie Simmons!

The author has an extraordinary grasp of both the theory and practice of strength training. It is not, however, for those frightened of a bit of science. One of the more enlightening aspects is his explanation of the relationship between force and speed and the consequences of coaches failing to understand that relationship.

Zatsiorsky has a depth of knowledge related to the strength requirements for many sports and activities gained from his many years experience in the former Soviet Union.

This is probably the best book I have yet read relating to strength training.

Some of the topics in the book are quite technical but you'll be able to understand them after a few times of rereading. The book does not show you routines to follow but what it does is show you what methods worked and did not work. This book is for all those who want to understand the science behind strength training. It does not give you a specific program but it equips you with the knowledge on how to develop your own. This book deserves a space in your strength training library and is a must for any serious lifter, coach and athlete.

This is a very interesting book about strenght training, with a fine balance between pratical advices and scientific principles. Only one phrase can define this book: It's a Must!!!!

".....Science and Practice of Strength Training is an OUTSTANDING REFERENCE AND TEXT that not only presents the scientific principles behind strength training, but also provides practical recommendations for optimizing muscular strength and development....."
[from the book of the back cover]

This book is based on decades of methodically documented training of Russian athletes. Rather than use hypothesis of what training methods SHOULD work, found so commonly in U.S. training literature, what you'll read in this book is scrupulous analysis of what actually worked and what didn't work. There is no equivalent in the U.S. athletic training system; no one has tracked and scientifically analyzed the training of U.S. athletes like the Russians did with their centralized training programs.

This is a must-read book for serious sports strength and conditioning coaches. It's a little too technical for the average fitness trainee, however. The format is a bit like a scholastic textbook, not a how-to book.

Finally someone has approached strength training with enough science as they have cardiovascular training. The definitions are so needed. A definite reference in my library.

An excellent book that describes useful strength and conditioning practices.