Stronger abs and back

Ancient Greek and Chinese leaders have stressed it for centuries, but only in the past decade have fitness and sports conditioning experts emphasized the development of abdominal and back muscles. Now we have the science to support the argument that the body's stability and power comes from its center.

Stronger Abs and Back shows how to develop the body's core musculature for maximum fitness and athletic performance. Strong abdominal and torso muscles will enhance physical appearance and mobility as well as contribute to the prevention of low back pain--the most common physical ailment in the industrialized world.

Because of its extensive benefits, Stronger Abs and Back applies to a broad readership: office workers who stiffen up while sitting at a desk all week; weekend warriors who play 36 holes on a free day at the course; serious athletes who want the utmost power to perform closer to their potential; and coaches who develop training programs with the best and most comprehensive fitness level of their athletes in mind.

The book features 165 exercises for developing flexibility, strength, and power. It also shows how to select and sequence these exercises in a 24-week sample program for abs and back development.

Dean Brittenham is the athletic director at the Shiley Athletic Elite Program at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He also is CEO of S.P.O.R.T. Elite, Ltd., an organization that promotes athletic performance, human health, and physical fitness through education, research, training, and service.

Dean Brittenham's background includes more than 40 years of teaching, training, and coaching athletes of all ability levels in many different sports. As a recognized expert in strength and conditioning, he is a popular speaker at camps, clinics, and symposia around the world. He has served as the strength and conditioning coach for both the Indiana Pacers and the New England Patriots, and he has trained a number of top-ranked tennis, volleyball, and cycling athletes.

Dean enjoys traveling, reading, and gardening. He lives in Escondido, California, with his wife, Beverly.

Greg Brittenham, Dean's son, is the strength and conditioning coach of the New York Knicks and has helped condition such NBA basketball pros as Patrick Ewing, Doc Rivers, and Derek Harper as well as players from the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers. He also is the president of S.P.O.R.T. Elite, Ltd.

Greg has been a leader in athletic conditioning since 1978. He and his father were codirectors of the Center for Athletic Development at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis. Greg holds a master's degree in kinesiology from Indiana University and is author of Complete Conditioning for Basketball.

An avid spokesperson for the importance of athletic conditioning, Greg has presented and demonstrated his training methods and programs to several prominent athletic groups, including the United States Tennis Association and the United States Olympic Committee.

Greg lives in Stamford, Connecticut, with his wife, Luann, and their two children, Max and Rachel.