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So, you have the Body for Life book, right? And you’ve read it, right? But you need more. Well, actually you don’t “need” more but you certainly can use more. If you are even halfway serious about making Body for Life a lifestyle, you should have some other books in your library as well. Here are my recommendations, in the order that I think you should work at acquiring them. Number one is the first one you should get, and so on.1. Strength Training Anatomy, Second Edition, by Frederic Delavier, Pub by Human Kinetics, 2007. This is an awesome book for understanding the basics of human anatomy, how it relates to strength training, and how to exercise safely and effectively. There is really no other book quite like it. It has a plasticized cover so wehn you take it to the gym, handling it with your sweaty paws won’t hurt it a bit.2. The Success Journal. This represents a 180 degree turn for me. I never thought it necessary, and I have always used a plain spiral notebook or a cheap plain training diary. I was given one of these by Body for Life Canada when I ordered something else, and I started using it. It is an amazing tool.

3. The Zone, by Barry Sears. This book is “old,” published perhaps 15 years ago, but it is good nutrition science and it really explains everything it recommends. Much of what is in Body for Life is also in this book, though the Zone is written from a more technical standpoint.

4. Sports Nutrition Review. This was published by EAS a few years ago. I don’t see a copyright date on mine and I am not certain at all if any copies still exist. It is excellent, and is written by several people you are likely to see at the Expo, Gretchen Ferraro, the publisher, Brian Deeds, of EAS, and Dr. Christine Steele, PhD of EAS, a scientist. Lest you think she is one of “those” PhD types you met in college–she’s hot!

5. Fats that Heal; Fats that Kill, by Udo Erasmus. Way too technical to be a fun read, this book nonetheless will help you to really understand the necessity of feeding your body good fats (oils actually) and what exactly they can do to restore your health. Available at health food stores.

6. Finally Fit at Fifty, by Porter Freeman. Long on inspiration and short on technical stuff, THIS book is one you can read a chapter at a time and read something that sticks with you every night for a while. Porter’s homespun wisdom is good stuff.

7. The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, by Arnold Schwarzenegger. THis is a massive tome, but one that has the answer to almost any question if you can find it. THere is lots of good stuff in it to help you, and lots of memories from the Governator himself.

8. Books you don’t need. Fitness books by Sly Stallone or Pam Peeke; books about the Big Fat Loser show, and books by personal trainers to the stars. Not that any of them are bad, but they are going a different direction than you are. Why waste the money when you could save it just in case a new Body for Life book comes out some day?

Speaking of books, there is an almost book length interview of Udenia Icenhour on my personal website which is currently down but will be back shortly. It’s a great read. Udenia has been doing BFL since 1997, on board ships, on an island in the Pacific, in California, and now in North Carolina. Under conditions and circumstances that most of us would find impossible, she is getting it done.

What’s new? Well, I’ll do more interviews of “unrecognized champions” like Udenia in the future, and I’ll also have a book review coming up soon, on “The New Rules of Lifting for Women” and it should be fun!

God bless!