Mechanisms for the Laymen
Understanding proper programming, mechanisms and your body is useful - for ever enthusiastic athlete. Find the best books for programming, flexibility, calishthenics & cardio on the linked Amazon list or click directly on the links provided.
Knowledge is power. It is a true statement to a certain degree. While one can also get lost in miniscule details, understanding the mechanisms and deeper workings of a topic one loves is a great thing. The same goes for every athlete and sports. While coaches provide a lot of knowledge and tie all together, every athlete benefits from a broader understanding of how programming works, what ways lead to more range of motion and what force production might look like at the level of the muscle cell.
Captian of your Ship
Coaches and guiding is great. But to a certain degree, all people like me provide is a learning journey for you - to grow as a person and a brain. The books down below are great sources to start learning more about the interesting topic about sports science and its subcategories:
The Muscle & Strength Pyramid* by Dr. Eric Helms
Overcoming Gravity* by Steven Low
Unbreakable Runner* by Brian MacKenzie
Stretching & Flexibility* by Kit Laughlin
Stretching Scientifically* by Thomas Kurz
Science of Sports Training for Programming* by Thomas Kurz
My Experience
My interest in sport sciences developed with my personal journey into the realm of sports. To avoid getting into the bullshit that bro science is, books were a great aid to learn about mechanisms and make progress through scientifically-proven evidence.
I think a lot of athletes miss this piece nowadays and just train. They do the work, but often intuitively - yet when it comes to training a set structure and analytical approach is of tremendous importance.
Further Reading
Understanding Calisthenics - Calisthenics describes a wide variety of individual approaches to bodyweight strength and skill training. Learn here all about it and the basic mindset that comes with it.
The Basics of Flexibility & Mobility - What is Flexibility and what Mobility? How do these tie in together? Discover the right definitions here and why knowing them is important for your practice.
From Zero & Mobility for Life - These two free programs provide you with two starting points to get into the realm of bodyweight training safely, sucessfully and with proper guidance. You focus on training and reap the benefits.
