Stronger Abs and Back (Paperback)

~ Dean Brittenham (Author), Greg Brittenham (Author) "All force generated by upper-and lower-body musculature either originates, is stabilized by, or is transferred through the trunk and low torso..." (more)
Key Phrases: repeat toward the opposite side, appropriate ball size, seated athlete, Roman Chair, Back Crunch, Lat Pull (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

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""Despite their importance, the abdominals, obliques, and back muscles have been shortchanged in most exercise books. But Stronger Abs and Back, written by two experts, offers nine chapters, over 100 exercises, and many routines to improve sports performance.""
Edmund R. Burke, PhD
Director of Exercise Science Program
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Author

""This is an extremely practical guide to training the body's midsection. It's a must for athletes at every level from weekend warriors to elite competitors. A great resource for both injury prevention and performance enhancement.""
E. Paul Roetert, PhD
Sport Science Administrator
United States Tennis Association

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Product Description

Build your center of power! Stronger Abs and Back shows how to develop the body’s most important source of energy and support--its core muscle groups. The abdominal and back muscles form the foundation for enhanced fitness and athletic performance.

Featuring 165 exercises and packed with training advice, this illustrated guide is your training manual to rock-hard abs and strong supportive back muscles that prevent low back injury and pain.

Stronger Abs and Back is for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want firm, high-performance bodies. So train smart and successfully: Strengthen your core and see the results.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics; 1 edition (February 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880115580
• ISBN-13: 978-0880115582
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Ab Workouts
  #19 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Backache
  #69 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Weight Training

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the serious and goal minded athlete, June 30, 1999

By A Customer

This book is the perfect book for the athlete who truly wants to improve the abs and/or back muscles. If you stick with the program as recommended by the authors and give it time, you will notice the differences in a few weeks. I had a herniated disk due to an accident. My lower back was in pain for much of the time. In about 3 weeks the pain had disappeared and I noticed that whenever I turned my torso, I felt a since of power. I then lent the book to several friends and they have all given thumbs up to the book.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eliminated my back pain, thank you!!!, December 8, 2004

By	GM (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

I initially bought this book in 2003 to get a 6-pack (haha), but I never really looked at it until I started experiencing severe lower back pain in October 2004. As a background, I started doing Mixed Martial Arts training early 2004 and slowly but surely my back pains started. I ignored it for as long as I could, but in September 2004 I was training hard for a submission wrestling tournament and my back was in constant pain.

My girlfriend's a PT and for long term maintenance and pain relief she advised me to strengthen my core. I showed her this book and she recommended I do the exercises with progressive difficulty.

Beforehand I used to do my weight training first and only do abs if I had the energy or "time". However in November 2004, I started doing the exericses in the book before my weight training sessions (4-5 times/week). I started with the stability exercises for 2 weeks. Once I got a grasp of that, I moved on to the ab fitness exercises for another 3 weeks and only now am I gettting to the strength exercises. The thing that impressed me was how detailed the instructions were. I was training smarter rather than harder. I ended each session with some good lower back stretching (shown in the book) for 5-10 minutes.

And I am very happy to say in December 2004 my lower back pain is completely gone!!! Consistency and good advice/exercises was the key! If the authors read this review, thanks very much!

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your abs will scream!, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This book is a MUST for Personal Trainers as well as self trainers. I refer to it constantly for variety and challenge. The pictorials and step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. You won't need another torso book. It has everything!