Occasionally I get asked what resources I would recommend for someone who wants to get into working out or to start exercising. The following is a list of resources that I have found useful over the years.
The first resource I would recommend is the book Core Performance. It is probably the best introductory book that you can read on exercising. Its not a book about picking up weights. That is only one of the seven parts of this book. It covers movement prep (dynamic stretching), prehab, physio-ball routines (stability), elasticity, strength, cardio and regeneration. All of these topics are perfect for anyone getting into exercising or anyone who wants to prevent injuries. The book has beginner, intermediate and advanced routines in the back. TIP: download the app FitNotes. It might take a little bit of time to add your routines but it is the best app available. I still use most of the concepts in this book. I don't use the ESD (cardio) program because I only run when chased. My favorite part of the book is the regeneration section that uses a rope for stretching out the hips and groin. I would recommend following the routine in this book for 9 weeks. Choose the appropriate level and focus on form. Weight, reps and speed all mean nothing if the form is bad. Videos of the exercises can be found via your favorite search engine.
After or during reading Core Performance, listen to Tim Ferris interview Pavel Tsatsouline. He has some amazing tips and insight. His courses are worth taking if you can find one in your area. I took the Kettlebell course and loved it.
Towards the end of the 9 week routine I would recommend reading Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training. This book is no joke and can be difficult to read. That said it will teach you everything you ever wanted and needed to know about how to squat, deadlift, press and bench-press. These movements are essential for becoming stronger. Even if you don't lift a lot of weight this book teaches the proper technique for lifting correctly. This correspond to everyday activities such as picking up a kid, carrying groceries or sitting down. If you know how to squat properly you are less likely to throw out your back. The book can get a little dry so I'd also recommend watching the authors videos 1 and 2. Allan Thrall has a great videos on how to properly squat. His content is top notch and worth watching.
After reading each chapter and watching videos I would recommend hiring a personal trainer just to work on the squat and the deadlift. These are simple movements but contains a lot of complex subtleties. Once I knew I had the correct form I paid the trainer to make me a routine with an emphasis on squats and deadlifts. If you don't have the luxury of paying a trainer I'd recommend the 5x5 workout. The routine is simple and it works. What has worked for me is I replace the strength routine from the core performance book with the 5x5 workout. This makes sure I don't forget to work on flexibility, mobility and regeneration.
The next book I'd recommend is Becoming a Supple Leopard. This book builds on the form concepts from Starting Strength but adds a unique view to it. This book teaches you proper form, how to prevent injuries, treat soreness, work on troubled areas and live pain free. I would recommend reading this book all the way through. Once completed odds are you will go back to this book all the time. The later of the book is broken down by muscle group and has mobilization techniques for each group. This book is great for eliminating pain and making you more mindful of your movement.
The author Kelly Starrett has been posting on Youtube for years. He has for the past year been posting on his website for the past year. I recently paid the $100 for a year and can say the content is great. I took their barbell class. It was a little pricey but worth it in the end.
The next book I'd recommend is Enter The Kettlebell. This book could also be read before Starting Strength. I have been a big fan of using kettlebells for the past couple of months. Goblet squats, cleans and swings are great movements. They are less technical than some of the Olympic lifts but still have the same movements. After reading Enter The Kettlebell, The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge is a great read. Actually almost everything by its author Dan John is a great read.
Hopefully this was a good introduction. Most people could probably train a life time correctly with just using these books. Below are a couple more books that I like or currently have on my reading list.
- Practical Programming for Strength Performance
- Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World
- Gift of Injury
- Fixing You - Hip & Knee pain
- Excellent book on fixing hip or knee pains.
- Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body
- Bruce Lee's thoughts and routines on exercising
- Athletic Body in Balance
- Trigger Point Therapy Workbook
- The Complete Book of Pilates for Men
- Every Day is Game Day
- Can You Go?: Assessments and Program Design for the Active Athlete and Everybody Else by Dan John
- How to Learn the Alexander Technique
- Anatomy for Strength Training
- You are Your Own Gym
- I tried sending this book to Wesley Snipes when he was in prison. It got denied.
- New Functional Training for Sports
- More advanced version of Core Performance
- Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual
- Excellent book that cuts all the fourplay out. I follow the get up at 4:45 am and go to the gym routine.
After my family and my dog, nothing helps my mental health more than exercising. Back in March of 2020, I decided to give up my gym membership because of COVID-19. Since then I have been slowing building up a home gym and collecting resource for staying active. Below are some recomendations on equipment that I have been using and items that I have purchased. This list contains everything outside of a foam roller and jump rope that I have found useful.
- Details: Kettlebells can be used in small places and are great for cardio and/or strength training.
- Procuring: Kettlebells can be hard to find. If you can find the proper weight, order or preorder them and try to not worry about the cost of shipping.
- Usage: Videos by Pavel Tsatsouline (the thicker the Russian accent the better) or his early books & Onnit (their online course is excellent).
- Weights: light, 2 * medium & heavy. I have 20lb, 2*35lb and 60lb. If you can only get one, go light and then do the onnit online videos. You won't regret it.
- Favorites: Tukish Get-Up, Goblet Squat & Swing.
- Details: Pull-up bars are simpple, you just need a place to mount it.
- Procurring: I picked up hanging pullup bar from Rogue. I had one that used the door frame but it started to scratch and wear away the door frame.
- Usage: Video on stretching or checkout any of the Strong First videos on pullups.
- Weights: Hooking a kettlebell with your foot can be used to add more resistence.
- Details: Great for assisting pullups, shoulder and chest excersises.
- Procurring: I picked up the four lightest bands from Rep Fitness. The super thick bands can be used for squats.
- Usage:
- Weights: medium-lite, light and medium. I primarily use these for assisting pullups.
- Details: Cross-fit gave these a bad reputation. I'm surprised how useful and challengeing rings are, even without doing gymnsatic excersises.
- Procurring: I picked some up from Rogue. These are great because they cane be put up or taken down in a minute or two. The price is not bad either.
- Usage: I value my shoulders so I'm taking it slow. Ring Row and Ring push-ups (feet on a box) are currently what I'm working. I'd eventually would like to be able to do dips and some day a muscule-up.
- Weights: N/A but something to put your feet on will be needed.
- Details: Simple box for stepping up on, resting your feet on or using for support.
- Procurring: Rep Fitness has an awesome one that is three different sizes depending on what side it is laying on. I have it in medium (24x20x16).
- Usage: I use it for lunges and support for controlling my height when using the gymastic rings.
- Weights: N/A
- Details: Even with light weights, maces are brutal. Great tool but can be a little sketchy. I wouldn't recommend the swinging excersises but the others are a great replacement for pulley machines movements.
- Procurring: Onnit and a number of sites have them. Due to maces being a little esoteric they are easier to procur.
- Usage: The Art of Manliness has an old youtube video and blog post on how to them.
- Weights: Start very light, it is shocking how heavy a 10lb mace can be when properly used.
- Details: I have only recently started using sandbags. The best part about them is they are easy to find and how 50lbs of sand only costs $4. I enjoy using it for Snatch's press and farm carries.
- Procurring: GoRuck and Kratus are two brands that I have and like. I also have a sandbag from Kratus that is similar to an atlas stone. If you are big fan of squating or deadlifting check them out, they are fun.
- Usage: Alan Thrall has a good post on how to pick them up.
- Weights: I have a 100lb atlas stone bag and two regular bags with weights of 60lb and 115lb .
- Details: A couple of months back I moved into a house with a garage. Having a squat rack at home is amazing. I got a rack that is solid but doesn't take up a lot of space in width and height.
- Procurring: I purchased the SML-1 Rogue 70" Monster lite squat stand. I had to wait 8 weeks to get it but I'm super happy with the purchase. I also purchased a bench and safety spotters.
- Usage: Squats, bench press, deadlift.
- Weights: N/A
- Details: Bumper plates are great because you can use them for all sort of different exercises and they are not super loud of clunky.
- Procurring: Bumper plates are hard to find. I have got mine through Rogue, Rep Fitness and Sorinex. Buy them when you see them and don't worry if they don't match.
- Usage: Squats, deadlifts, bench, rows, etc
- Weights: 10, 15, 25, 35 and 45 all in pairs. Two pairs of 45s if you have the space and strength.
- Reddit Home Gyms The stock and shipping threads are how I found most of my equipment.
Please leave a comment if you have any recommendations or thoughts.