The primary focus of Building Strength and Stamina, 3rd edition, is to present research-based exercise principles, training protocols, and conditioning programs that are safe, practical, and productive for increasing muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance in men and women of various ages and fitness levels. The secondary intent of this book is to provide research-based training recommendations for advanced exercisers and high-level athletes. Although this book is not a nutrition textbook, recent research findings regarding the muscle and bone building benefits of higher protein consumption will be presented, along with specific guidelines for optimally increasing protein intake.
This edition of Building Strength and Stamina also features practical information on warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching exercises, that is designed to provide a more complete context for experiencing safe and effective exercise sessions. With regard to correct exercise execution, Chapter 5 offers detailed descriptions and precise photographs of properly performed resistance exercises, using free-weights, resistance machines, and bodyweight. Chapter 6 presents properly performed aerobic activity, using cycles, treadmills, rowers, and steppers.
Among the things that you will learn by reading this book are the following:
• A basic and brief program of strength and endurance exercise can increase overall muscle strength by more than 50 percent in 10 weeks, while concurrently adding three pounds of muscle and reducing four pounds of fat.
• An advanced and brief program of resistance exercise can further increase muscle strength by more than 20 percent and muscle mass by more than two pounds after 10 weeks of higher intensity training.
• Beginning exercisers can enhance their strength gains by approximately 20 percent by performing static stretching exercises in conjunction with their resistance training.
• Beginning exercisers can enhance their muscle gains by more than 30 percent by consuming appropriate amounts of protein just before or just after their training sessions.
• Overweight exercisers can enhance their fat loss by more than 40 percent by consuming appropriate amounts of protein just before or just after their training sessions.
The 3rd edition of Building Strength and Stamina is divided into two complementary sections. The first section (Chapters 1 through 6) presents relevant, research-based information on strength training. The second section (Chapters 7 through 9) provides equally important information on endurance exercise, with a final chapter on nutritional recommendations.
Chapter 1 addresses the physiological and psychological benefits of resistance training. Chapter 2 presents basic information on muscle make-up and strength-building potential. Chapter 3 summarizes the essentials of muscle contraction and movement mechanics principles and provides research-based recommendations for maximizing strength training results. Chapter 4 presents the research-based recommendations for safe, sensible, and successful strength training experiences. Chapter 5 offers precise descriptions and focused photographs for properly performing a variety of free-weight, resistance machine, and bodyweight exercises. Chapter 6 details appropriate strength training programs for basic and advanced exercisers, as well as highly effective circuit strength training protocols based on our U.S. Air Force study. Chapter 7 discusses the health and fitness benefits of aerobic training, and presents the guidelines for performing effective endurance exercise. Chapter 8 provides practical information for selecting endurance exercise equipment and using each training mode properly. Chapter 9 outlines specific training protocols for performing basic endurance exercise, interval training, circuit training, and cross-training. Finally, Chapter 10 offers nutritional information for enhancing training results, with special attention to protein intake and calorie consumption.
This book is intended to provide all the information you need to perform sensible and successful exercise programs that enable you to attain higher levels of muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance in a safe, effective, and time-efficient manner. Furthermore, the accompanying training video offers model demonstrations of the most productive resistance machine and free-weight exercises, with concurrent performance guidelines.
