Houghton Mifflin Company Another inky evening

Mind Gym An Athletes Guide to Inner Excellence

Mind Gym An Athletes Guide to Inner Excellence

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental “muscle.” These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the “head edge” over the competition.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Gary Mack is on his game
My son had the physical ability, but seemed to lack mental fortitude. I was browsing through the sports psychology section at the book store and came across Gary Mack’s book, Mind Gym, saw that the forward was written by ARod and thought, well, if ARod endorses Gary Mack, this must be good. I was not disappointed. My competitive athletic days have long passed me by, but I actually got more out of this book than my son for life outside of sports. I carry my copy of this dog-eared, highlighted book with me to work everyday. It helps me to get re-energized, to focus and to win. Easy to read and understand. Point, I first read the book about four years ago. Since then my salary has almost quadrupled. Even in this downward economy I had my most successful year so far in 2008. If I could give this book ten stars I would. Hope you find the same results. Thank you… and thank YOU Gary for writing this book!

5 Stars Use Your Mental Strength to Control Your Thoughts to Succeed
This book Mind Gym : An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence is an amazing book the breaks down the complexity of sport psychology into easy to understand and implement processes and tips. Every personal trainer, fitness coach and sports psychologist should have a copy. The book is great!

Gregg Swanson

5 Stars Mind over Matter
Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but they All Love a Scorer: The Complete Guide to Scoring Points on and off the Basketball Court

Just like Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but They All Love a Scorer Mind gym points out the importance of the mental aspect of the sport. Alot of athletes do not realize the importance of being mentally prepared to compete but these books show you how and why.

4 Stars Mind Gym - good perspectives
Quick and easy to read. Full of short stories that help athletes gain perspective into building a stronger mental game.

5 Stars Great book; VERY inspirational
Don’t be fooled, this book isn’t just for athletes. The author includes dozens of quotations and bits of wisdom from various top performers. The book is divided into quick, readable chapters (each about 4-5 pages long) and can easily be read within a few sittings. I personally read one chapter at a time so I could let the knowledge sink into my head and reflect upon it.

The book contains tons of great advice for anyone that wants to excel to the top of his or her field. Definitely one of my top books of 2008!

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Hitman My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling

Hitman My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling

Written without collaborators and based on decades of tape recordings he made throughout his career, HITMAN is Bret Hart’s brutally honest, perceptive and startling account of his life in and out of the ring that proves once and for all that great things come in pink tights.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The Best Book On Wrestling Today
I recently read Bret Hart’s autobiography and I have to say that it is one of the most honest books about wrestling and about what goes on in the ring and behind the scenes.

Bret gives his thoughts on various wreslers and topics(both good and bad) and I also appreciated the fact that while he doesn’t pull any punches on what he said, he owns up to his own faults as well.

I think this book should be required reading for anyone who wants to know about a certain time and era of professional wrestling.

3 Stars Good book, but Bret’s narcissism takes it down a few notches
First off, if you’re a Bret Hart fan or an insider fan who enjoys backstage stories, you’ll like this book. There were many parts of the book I enjoyed, including the background of his family, the partying with wrestlers, Bret’s falling out with Hulk Hogan, among other things.

As unpopular as this may be though, I grew tiresome of Bret’s ego in the book, and, quite frankly, the whining about Montreal. Bret incessantly talks about fans in every country barraging him as if he’s the biggest rock star ever; yes, we get it Bret. A little humility wouldn’t have been such a bad thing (sorry, admitting your guilty of extra-marital affairs doesn’t count). As for Montreal, it’s ten years later and his ego won’t let it go. Shawn Michaels has expressed his sorrow for the whole incident; for Bret to say he’ll never forgive him speaks to his bitterness.

Good book, but Foley’s first two books and Jericho’s book are much better reads for the simple fact that they don’t take themselves so seriously.

5 Stars Wanna know what goes on in wrestling?
Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling by Bret Hart

Growing up, I remember my Dad and Brother watching wrestling at night while we had dinner. Bret the Hitman Hart was one of my very favorites as a little girl, he was easy on the eyes and had that commanding personality that made him all the more attractive. Bret was one of those wrestlers that looked like he belonged in the ring, flipping, jumping, and most of all winning. Having the chance to review his biography, is a special treat for me.

Most of Bret Hart’s memories as a young child were seriously imprinted on his mind as he fought for his place in the family, fought with his brothers, and stuck by those that he formed an alliance with. Bret also talks about his father, Stu, that was “the man” of wrestling in that day and age. While Stu was a hard man, as I read on, I could tell how much Bret loved and looked up to him. Being the eight of twelve children, Bret was going to make it in the wrestling world… but it wouldn’t always come easy.

As life went on, Bret found his love for the wrestling lifestyle, but with the good comes the bad. He made life long friendships with some of the biggest names in his wrestling career, had an amazing family, and provided for his children. I’ll skip ahead now, after years of wrestling, Bret traveled the world and tells about his wild sex encounters, and how drugs are so openly available to those that are famous. He also talks about his rival, Shawn Michaels, and his open feelings toward Shawn’s rising fame.

Bret goes into major detail in everything, leaving not much out I’m sure. You can feel his emotions, the tragedies, and his memories of the years gone by seep into your skin. You’ll find yourself tearing up, smiling, and if it makes sense, you’ll feel close to the man I call a legend. Also, I want to mention the photo inserts, those really made you feel a connection to the Hart’s. I loved Bret’s biography, and I wish the best for him. 5 Hearts or should I say 5 Harts

Grand Central Publishing

Hachette Book Group

ISBN# 0446539724

5 Stars The best wrestling autobiography there is, and probably every will be……
If you’re expecting bitterness and cold blooded, you don’t want to even bother with this book. This book is appropriately named, as Bret Hart does not hold back on anyone, including himself. I’ve read Stone Cold and The Rock’s autobiography, none of them as compelling and revealing as “Hitman.”

3 Stars The Hitman’s “Cartoon World” was way too black and white.
Everyone but his beloved parents, Owen, and a few wrestlers were all liars and opportunists in Bret’s “Cartoon World”. That’s what I took away from this autobiographical account of an interesting wrestlers life. While The Hitman seems to want to tell it like it is, I have to wonder how much of the truth is really in his writing?

His feuds with his wife are mostly left unexplained, with at least a dozen “Julie was about to leave me again” type statements without much reason or insight besides the business being hard on them. Did she know about his affairs? Was there other personal reasons she wanted to leave? Bret never says. It might make HIM look like the bad guy for once.

Bret skims over most anything that would paint him in a bad light. He takes no credit for the mid-90’s WWE decline, which he was a big part of. He makes one passing mention about people ‘lying’ and saying he was “difficult to work with”. I can see their point, from all the times he was in Vince or Bischoff’s office complaining or being insecure. He may have been in the right about a number of these issues, but when the NwO or The Clique were running the show, instead of adapting to the realities of the business Bret chose to rebel and sulk.

The last few chapters of the book are the most baffling to me, and make me worry for Bret. After Owen’s wrongful-death suit is settled in the last few chapters he skims over the death of his father, his own stroke, a barely spoken-of second marriage, and leaves the reader wondering if he has really ever been able to move on. He is literally still blasting Triple-H and Shawn on the last two pages of his life story before talking about walking away with his head held high.

While this is an entertaining read, I hope the readers don’t take every word as the gospel truth. I am not a Shawn Micheals mark, I swear. I just think that Bret’s “Cartoon” is in black and white, while I would paint him more in shades of gray. He was a womanizer. He seems to have some homophobia issues. He seemed to forget on a daily basis that while he was a talented wrestler Vince and Bischoff couldn’t always base their entire companies around him. He doesn’t seem to want to solve problems within his family, writing some very vile things about all of them except poor Owen. He is always the victim and it is always someone else’s fault.

For Hart fans, this is a Bible. For wrestling fans, this is an eye-opening personal account from one of the best technicians in the business. I would recommend this book to them. For non-wrestling fans, I would suggest you steer clear. Hart’s life is too wrapped up in the names and faces of the business and you will likely be bored and confused.

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Practical Programming for Strength Training

Practical Programming for Strength Training

Practical Programming offers a different approach to exercise programming than that typically found in other exercise texts. Based on a combined 60+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, sports psychology, and common sense. Contrary to the one-size-fits-all models of periodization offered elsewhere, Practical Programming explains the differences in response to exercise commonly observed between athletes at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, explains these differences in the context of the relevant exercise science, and presents new training models that actually work for athletes at all levels of experience. Complete with new, innovative graphical representations of cutting-edge concepts in exercise programming, Practical Programming is sure to become a standard reference in the field of exercise and human performance. Contributor: Glenn Pendlay

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The best practical book that helps one custom make an effective workout
This book is an eye opener. I’ve always lifted in just the same failed way he mentions in the book. I did ten reps of 3 set for every workout. Over trained some muscles and couldn’t improve performance. This book has changed my life. I’m already seeing results. I recommend this book to any one reasonable who’s looking for a book that’s so practical on workout programming.

5 Stars 5 Stars For All Three of Rippetoe’s Books; The Reviews Don’t Lie
I purchased this book last summer, and decided to jump right in to a heavy barbell regimen as outlined in this book. Unfortunately, despite having lifted now for over 13 years, (primarily machines and single-joint exercises)my form on the squat, press, deadlift, and even bench press left much to be desired. I started to have some joint and back problems shortly after starting the barbell workouts so I went back to a higher volume, machine and dumbell oriented program for 4 or 5 months. I got this book back out around the beginnig of the year, and decided to purchase “Starting Strength: 2nd Edition” to try to focus on proper lifting form for the basic compound barbell exercises, as I had become very frustrated with my “bodybuilding/hypertrophy” workouts leading me basically nowhere in the last 5-6 years. After nearly 4 weeks now on a novice program, I have raised my 3 sets of 5 across weights pretty dramatically for each of the four basic barbell moves (squats, press, bench, and deadlift). What is great about “Practical Programming” is the fact that Rippetoe and Kilgore give so many strategies to break through plateaus at all levels (novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite), that this book could be used for years to make continued strength gains. I would suggest that anyone wanting to effectively use their time in the weight room purchase “Starting Strength”, work on perfecting their form, and then buy “Practical Programming” to ensure years of success in the gym.

5 Stars practical programming for strength training
This is a very solid book on strength development. I have been weight training for 25 years and wish i would have read this book in high school or had a trainer that knew this material. The book flows very well and gives you great background on what, why and how. Uses various examples and seems to have great sources and benchmarks over the last 30-40 years. Authors are very opinionated at times, but my take away is these two know what they are doing. If you are a high school or college kid, especially one playing football or power/weight lifting, i strongly recommend. If you are playing a skilled sport such as baseball it’s a great reference but not primarily for you and the authors do a great job of explaining why. If you are most interested in bodybuilding (Hypertrophy) then again this is a very good reference, especially related to over-training, but the focus of the text is on strength and power.

5 Stars Must read
This book is about the construction of exercise routines, not how to perform the exercises. For that info I recommend Starting Strength also by Rippetoe and the web site stronglifts.com.

This book is full of essential knowledge for efficient use of time and energy spent weight training. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, even if you’re making progress, you’re wasting time and energy. You could be progressing faster. If you’re getting all your info from muscle and fitness you’re missing a lot.

I’m mostly interested in strongman but after I got this I bought another as a gift for friend who’s into body building. If resistance training applies to you then so does this book. You will know what you’re doing after you read this book.

5 Stars Lives up to its title
I read many, but rarely write a review - however this is very nice work. I am formally trained in exercise physiology, and think the authors deliver an excellent resource for the serious novice to advanced lifter.

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Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

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.

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. A product specific Web site includes new student lab activities that instructors can assign to students. Students can visit this Web site to print the forms and charts for completing lab activities, or they can complete the activities electronically and email their results to the instructor. The instructor guide provides a course description and schedule, chapter objectives and outlines, chapter-specific Web sites and additional resources, definitions of primary key terms, application questions with recommended answers, and links to the lab activities. The presentation package and image bank, delivered in Microsoft PowerPoint, offers instructors a presentation package containing over 1,000 slides to help augment lectures and class discussions. In addition to outlines and key points, the resource also contains over 450 figures, tables, and photos from the textbook, which can be used as an image bank by instructors who need to customize their own presentations. Easy-to-follow instructions help guide instructors on how to reuse the images within their own PowerPoint templates. 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.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning
Quick and easy, it arrived in a timely manner and they answers my email questions promptly. Thanks

4 Stars Almost perfect!!!
This book was in very good condition. It was very dusty from the packaging but the book was in perfect condition. There were no tears, no highlighting on the pages nor was there writing in the book.

4 Stars Average
I had to order this book for a class because it was required. So far it has helped in the class.

5 Stars Great seller
The book was in new condition, was delivered on time, and I am very happy with the purchase!

5 Stars Fast shipping
My order was shipped immediately and the product was in fantastic condition. Please order from this person if you get a chance. Thanks.

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