Edmund R. Burke

The book that finally got me running successfully.: I do inline skating, skiing, and weight training, but every time I tried to take up running, I would hit a wall. I just couldn't run for long sessions, and after a few I would hurt something and give up. Then I read about Ed Burke in Outside. This book, along with Burke's "Optimal Muscle Recovery" (I tore an Achilles tendon and developed plantar fascitis from skating and skiing) and "Stretching" finally got me to understand that I wasn't show more building the base I needed in order to run better. By following the training programs in this book, I've greatly increased my capacity without injury, and am slowly seeing my speed increase. Also liked this book because it took a different approach for each covered sport, and it treated inline skating with the respect it deserves as an endurance activity. show less

This is the first book that I got on stretching, and still the oft mentioned classic. I have read and own several other books that are often overwhelming in their complexity & as I look at the routines, I think that perhaps someday I will get around to learning part of a routine and then get to the rest later, but I never do. This book has simple stretches, and simple illustrations that are doable by someone who is an ordinary person with limited time for this necessary activity.

Anyone can show more do it. For example: Page 110 starts with the words
Spontaneous Stretches
"You can't say you don't have time to stretch. Reading a paper, talking on the phone, waiting for a bus... these are times for easy, relaxed stretching. Be creative; think of stretches to do during normally wasted time."
The rest of page 110 has six simple illustrations of stretches thrown into daily activities.

I gave a copy to a brother and he was thanking me for years after.

If you only buy one stretching book, this is a great choice.

For a book with human illustrations (rather than the sketches that this one has) see: Complete Stretching: A New Exercise Program for Health and Vitality. Complete Stretching has less text, which makes it easier to read, but the explanations are still excellent. They make it the why and how abundantly clear. In addition, Complete Stretching is based on 3,500 years of refining technique. show less

An excellent book that covers all aspects of bicycle race training. My only reservation is the chapter where he discusses the many ways of doping.

I recommend this for anyone pursuing tennis or running. It's the right blend of pysiology and how-to, including background on amino acids and nutrients in general.