Straight to the Bar

All Things Strength

HELPING YOU GET STRONGER SINCE 2004

Re-Reading : Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2nd Edition)
Written By : Scott Bird
Filed In : Reading
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Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2nd Edition).

Great book.
We first looked at this one a while ago, and a conversation on the weekend had me pulling it from the shelves once again. The 2nd Edition of Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength.
The title gives you a general idea, and a couple of brief comments will help fill in the gaps :

Readers will appreciate the combination of plain facts and expert advice. Anyone looking to build muscle mass will appreciate this thorough, no-nonsense guide to proper strength-training technique.

The book is very well written, and provides a complete, precise set of tables throughout the chapters that allow the novice or advanced bodybuilder or strength athlete to start using proven exercises/techniques to improve their appearance and/or performance. The “Rating” matrices of Time/Length/Difficulty/Results alone were, for me, worth the price of the book.

Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength. Good stuff.

NB : We first looked at this one in the weekly Strength & Fitness Newsletter (part of the Strength Kit). If you’d like to have it sent to you automatically (free!) each week, just add your email here.
And if you’re looking for other training-related books I recommend, check out the complete lists on Goodreads.


Over to you. Drop us a line on X/Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

 

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter. A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

And if you'd like to check out any of the stuff mentioned above (or in the comments), swing by Amazon. Huge assortment of fitness gear.

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What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

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'Napalm' Jedd Johnson.
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Before you start your fitness journey, it’s important to measure a few things.

Here’s how.

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The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

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Written By Scott Bird
Scott is a long-time fitness enthusiast (Jan 2004!), writer and photographer living in Sydney, Australia. If you share the passion for spending a bit of time under a bar, welcome. Love hearing how everyone else trains. You can connect via X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook and the various networks listed in the sidebar.
Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.