Best fitness books for men

October 3, 4:53 PMNutrition ExaminerCarol Bardelli

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Effective workouts don't have to be done in a gym.

Like women, you guys out there need a balanced approach to fitness. Your best bet is a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise. Unfortunately, few books cover both topics thoroughly. These three books give you excellent coverage of muscle building and resistance training.  Add in some jogging, biking, swimming, elliptical, or better yet cross training, and you're guaranteed to achieve a fitter, sexier body.

Weight Training Workouts that Work: Volume I by James Orvis
 

Designed for the entry-level weight trainer, this book is a great place to start if you've never or rarely performed resistance training. At 150 pages, it's a small volume as weight lifting books go, but the subject matter is covered concisely and clearly.

With twelve weeks of workouts outlined, James Orvis gives you a complete step-by-step run down on what exercises to perform and how to maintain proper form.  All you need to know to launch your fitness goals are in this book.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Dobbins

If you're serious about getting fit this book is a must-have. Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with photographer Bill Dobbins to write a book like no other. This is truly "the bible of bodybuilding."

This book covers advances in weight training, and also covers bodybuilding competition – an intriguing subject even if you don't plan to compete.  Diverse topics are covered including diet and nutrition, dietary supplements for fat loss and muscle gain, sports psychology, treatment and prevention of injuries, and training methods. Illustrated with detailed photos of bodybuilding's greats, this book is also visually appealing.

There's plenty here for all levels of expertise and experience. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding will motivate you and help you achieve your full physical potential.

Men's Health Home Workout Bible: by Lou Schuler (Editor), Michael Mejia

Let's face it, few of us have time to spend hours in a commercial gym, let alone afford the price of gas to get there.  Working out at home is a viable option. Good new and used equipment is available, often for less money than a gym membership or personal trainer fees.

Lou Shuler and Michael Mejia show you how to transform an area of "your humble abode into your personal war room." They fully cover the art of resistance training. And they make it clear that commercial gyms are in no way superior to an in-home gym. "Where it really counts-results-there's zero difference between a home gym and a membership gym."

Schuler is the fitness director at Men's Health magazine and author of many bodybuilding books. He knows his stuff inside and out. This book is written with the average Joe in mind, Joe six-pack who want Joe six-pack abs. All you need to know to get in shape is covered in an expert, no-nonsense writing style. You'll learn about muscle groups, how to buy effective and affordable equipment, correct lifting form, and which exercises you need to perform.

Michael Mejia provides more than 200 pages of exercise programs. These routines are easy to understand and effective.  You'll never get bored with your choices of routines and neither will your muscles.