Stronger Abs and Back
by Dean Brittenham, Greg Brittenham
List Price:
Our Price: $8.59
You Save: $9.36 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.63 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Dean Brittenham, Greg BrittenhamEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1997-02-24
ISBN: 0880115580
Number of pages: 248
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Accessories:
Book Reviews of Stronger Abs and Back
Book Review: By comparing over 10 abs books, I concluded...
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased about 10 books from Amazon on abs in order to compare them. This one is unique for recommending different routines for people who have the different goals of fitness, strength, or power. The idea of strength vs. power workouts was a late 90s fad in sports training, which isn't to say it was wrong, but you won't find any chapter here called "Wellness: The Big Picture," like you will in one of the books published in 2006. If you want to know how these compare, here are my conclusions...
If You Want to Trim Your Waistline: You can't trim your waistline without losing fat, and you can't lose fat around your waist without losing it everywhere (focusing on a muscle group like the abdominal muscles doesn't burn fat in that location, just a little bit of fat from everywhere on the body). So, if you want to trim your waistline, skip the ab workout books and go with a good, proven overall weight loss and fitness book like Bill Phillips' Body for Life. The Abs Diet is a similar program, but like all the Men's Health publications, it advertises a 6-week transformation, which is just a little unrealistic. Plan on more like 12-24 weeks to see really noticeable changes if you are fat.
If You Want Sculpted Six-Pack Abs: If you are overweight at all, see above--you can't get a six pack while you're overweight, and you can't lose abdominal fat by doing an ab workout, so go for overall fitness. However, if you are already lean, see below.
If You Want to Strengthen or Build Your Ab Muscles: If you're trying to improve for work, play, or rehab, you might consider the following books: The Body Sculpting Bible for Abs Deluxe DVD Edition contains decently up-to-date information and tells you exactly what to do and when to do it, based on a six-week fitness course. If you're looking for a similar book with more information, you can choose from The Complete Book of Abs or The Complete Book of Core Training. The Complete Book of Abs (1998) is a little out of date in terms of its dietary/nutritional recommendations, but it focuses more on exercises that develop the external abdominal muscles (the ones you see in a six-pack), including lots of variations on leg lifts, bicycle motion, and sit-ups. It will also give you more resources for creating your own program, and, if that's what you want to do, go with this one instead of The Body Sculpting Bible. The Complete Book of Core Training (2006) focuses more on the functional body core, including internal abdominal muscles, legs, etc., and includes more trendy exercises using medicine balls, exercise balls, yoga, etc. A different sort of book is Stronger Abs and Back (1997), which was written before the current fad of selling "core training," but contains the elements of core training because it gives good functional sports-focused advice. Its dietary recommendations are out of date, but it recommends a 24-week workout plan, which is much more realistic than the 6-week plans advocated by many of the other books.
If You Have Back Pain: See your doctor, and if he prescribes abdominal/core strengthening, see above.
My one-book recommendation: Body for Life.
My two-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back.
My three-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs.
My four-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs + The Abs Diet.
Hope this helps!!
Summary of Stronger Abs and Back
Ancient Greek and Chinese leaders have stressed it for centuries, but only in the past decade have fitness and sports conditioning experts emphasized the development of abdominal and back muscles. Now we have the science to support the argument that the body's stability and power comes from its center.
Stronger Abs and Back shows how to develop the body's core musculature for maximum fitness and athletic performance. Strong abdominal and torso muscles will enhance physical appearance and mobility as well as contribute to the prevention of low back pain--the most common physical ailment in the industrialized world.
Because of its extensive benefits, Stronger Abs and Back applies to a broad readership: office workers who stiffen up while sitting at a desk all week; weekend warriors who play 36 holes on a free day at the course; serious athletes who want the utmost power to perform closer to their potential; and coaches who develop training programs with the best and most comprehensive fitness level of their athletes in mind.
The book features 165 exercises for developing flexibility, strength, and power. It also shows how to select and sequence these exercises in a 24-week sample program for abs and back development.
Backache Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Backache Books
Banish Back Pain: Effective Self-Help With the Aid of Simple Home Remediesby Roger Newman Turner
Harpercollins; Published: 1990-05; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Mechanical Low Back Pain: Perspectives in Functional Anatomyby James A. Porterfield, Carl Derosa
W B Saunders Co; Published: 1991-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $40.00
Price in other shops:
Mechanical Low Back Pain: Perspectives in Functional Anatomy, 2eby James A. Porterfield PT MA ATC, Carl DeRosa PT PhD
Saunders; Published: 1998-01-05; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
Back Pain: New Approaches to Rehabilitation and Educationby Martin Roland
Manchester Univ Pr; Published: 1989-12; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
The Posture Prescription: The Doctor's Rx for: Eliminating Back, Muscle, and Joint Pain; Achieving Optimum Strength and Mobility; Living a Lifetime of Fitness and Well-Beingby Arthur White M.D., Kate Kelly
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2003-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.36
I've Got Your Back: The Truth About Spine Surgery, Straight From a Surgeonby Nathaniel L. Tindel M.D., Tamar Haspel
NAL Trade; Published: 2007-01-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Medical Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Pain Research and Clinical Management Series, Volume 13, 1eElsevier; Published: 2002-08-14; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
Physical Therapy of the Low Back (Clinics in Physical Therapy)by Lance T. Twomey
Churchill Livingstone; Published: 1994-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $151.82
Back Care: A Clinical Approachby Sheila Braggins MCS SRP
Churchill Livingstone; Published: 2000-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $30.62
Price in other shops:
The new approach to low back pain (A Berkley Windhover book)by Bernard E Finneson
Berkley; Published: 1977; Paperback; Book
Similar Books and other products
15 Minute Better Back Workout (+DVD)by Suzanne Martin
DK ADULT; Published: 2007-12-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.20
Price in other shops:
You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercisesby Mark Lauren, Joshua Clark
Ballantine Books; Published: 2011-01-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.98
Price in other shops:
The Complete Book of Abs for Women: The Definitive Guide for Women Who Want to Get into the Ultimate Shapeby Kurt Brungardt
Villard; Published: 2004-04-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
The Complete Book of Butt and Legsby Kurt Brungardt, Mike Brungardt, Brett Brungardt
Villard; Published: 1995-03-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.99
Price in other shops:
7 Weeks to 50 Pull-Ups: Strengthen and Sculpt Your Arms, Shoulders, Back, and Abs by Training to Do 50 Consecutive Pull-Upsby Brett Stewart
Ulysses Press; Published: 2011-05-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.94
Price in other shops:
7 Weeks to 100 Push-Ups: Strengthen and Sculpt Your Arms, Abs, Chest, Back and Glutes by Training to do 100 Consecutive Push-Upsby Steve Speirs
Ulysses Press; Published: 2009-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.74
Price in other shops:
Ultimate Core Ball Workout: Strengthening and Sculpting Exercises with Over 200 Step-by-Step Photosby Jeanine Detz
Ball Dynamics; Ulysses Press; Published: 2005-04-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.83
Price in other shops:
The Complete Book of Core Training: The Definitive Resource for Shaping and Strengthening the 'Core' -- The Muscles of the Abdomen, Butt, Hips, and Lower Backby Kurt, Brett, & Mike Brungardt
Hyperion; Published: 2006-01-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.47
Price in other shops:
Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strengthby Bill Phillips, Michael D'Orso
EAS; William Morrow; Published: 1999-06-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.45
Price in other shops:
The Complete Book of Abs: Revised and Expanded Editionby Kurt Brungardt
Villard; Published: 1998-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.90
Price in other shops: