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  • Published: 13 April 2021
  • ISBN: 9780241389454
  • Imprint: Dorling Kindersley
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $32.99

Science of Strength Training

Understand the anatomy and physiology to transform your body




The only book to demonstrate all muscle actions for exercises, with flexible workout programmes and over half the exercises adapted for home training.


Discover the hard science needed to perfect each exercise and build your strongest body - at home or in the gym.

Whether you are looking to tone and sculpt your body, lose weight, give yourself an edge in another sport, support bone strength, or simply improve posture, strength training can help you achieve your goals.

With unique CGI artworks, this book gets under the skin of more than 100 exercises, to identify every muscle worked and show how they engage at every stage, so you can feel you're getting it right - safely and with maximum benefit.

Follow flexible workout programmes that target a range of abilities and aims.

Understand the physiology behind how to build and maintain muscle mass, raise metabolism, and reduce body fat. Apply in-depth dietary advice to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that supports muscle building, including for vegans.

How The Book Works
The first section - human physiology - introduces you to the wonder that is skeletal muscle and the mechanisms that underpin strength training's demands on the body. It will help you understand how muscles work and grow, and how the resistance work stimulates muscles to develop strength and size, alongside its positive impacts on bones and connective tissue. It also explains how the body powers muscular work and shows you how to calculate your own daily macronutrient requirements. Lastly, you're given an overview of the benefits to the brain, and the crucial role it plays in attitude and mental health.

The second section - strength exercises - is devoted to a comprehensive collection of strength training exercises to perform, along with many variations offered to compliment your available training equipment, personal preferences, and level of challenge - at home or in the gym. Each exercise displays the muscles being used throughout the movement with detailed instruction on how to achieve proper form and technique; common mistakes are covered, too.

The third section - preventing injury - explores common injuries related to resistance training, with explanations on how to avoid them and how to return to training if you do suffer an injury. A consistent and structured routine, including a proper warm-up, prepares the body for work, and the various mobility exercises and stretches given will help you tune in to how your body is responding to the training.

The final section - how to train - outlines everything you need to know about the variables of effective strength training, such as training volume and fatigue management. Whether you want to build muscle, strength, or endurance, you'll find an easy-to-follow program to suit, as well as alternatives for those wanting to workout more often. Then programs form the base of your training and can be adjusted in the months and years to come.

  • Published: 13 April 2021
  • ISBN: 9780241389454
  • Imprint: Dorling Kindersley
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $32.99

Praise for Science of Strength Training

I highly recommend The Science of Strength Training. It's a comprehensive, actionable, and easy-to-understand handbook for new and experienced weightlifters alike. Worth ten times the price.

Mike Matthews, author of Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger

I am blown away with the quality of this book! From the photos, diagrams, and text. This is truly the resource for both coaches and those trying to understand the science of lifting more. The perfect resource for learning what exercises target what muscles, how to execute them, and how to train for your goals. Austin's book is an incredible resource for anyone interested in fitness and lifting.

Alyssa Olenick, Ph.D.(c), CISSN, Researcher & Coach

Austin Current's Science of Strength Training is a great read for both beginners and advanced trainees alike. Far too often people head into the gym without a clear understanding of the physiology behind the process in which they are engaged. Austin does a great job of breaking down the complex science behind weight training while making it understandable for everyone and ensuring practical applications every step of the way. I can't recommend it enough.

Cliff Wilson, author of Bodybuilding: The Complete Contest Preparation Handbook and 13x World Champion Natural Bodybuilding Coach

Austin has done an incredible job on putting together the Science of Strength Training. He's found the perfect balance of laying it out in a way that will benefit both the average gym-goer who just loves to train and the more dedicated coach or trainer who has a deeper understanding of the science side of things. I honestly couldn't recommend this book enough, and I will be using it as a reference for both my online and in-person clients and for the coaches and trainers I help out along the way.

Danny Kennedy, Personal Trainer & Host of The Fitness & Lifestyle Podcast