Weight Training: Steps to Success

Take the guesswork out of strength training and understand the details of proper exercise technique, weight loads, and reps. The no-nonsense approach of Weight Training: Steps to Success has guided more than 200,000 readers to their strength training goals and it will do the same for you.

Combining the experience of strength and conditioning experts Thomas Baechle and Roger Earle, this guide will maximize your development with a progressive approach to weight training using either free weights or machines. Learn which exercises target which muscles and how to perform each one correctly and safely. Gain insight on how to eat smart to maximize results and follow the step-by-step directions to calculate safe training loads and design an overall training program that fits your interests and training preferences.

Whether your goal is to improve muscular endurance, build strength, increase muscle mass, tone existing muscles, or reduce body fat, Weight Training: Steps to Success will help you be successful. With more than 30 exercises, each explained and demonstrated through full-color photo sequences, along with guidance on how to approach introductory workouts and create a tailored training program, it’s no wonder this is the book that thousands will use to develop a strong, healthy, and attractive body.

Thomas R. Baechle, EdD, CSCS,*D-R, NSCA-CPT,*D-R, competed in Olympic-style weightlifting and powerlifting and was a weight training instructor and a strength and conditioning coach for 20 years. Currently he is a professor and chair of the exercise science department at Creighton University, where he directed phase III cardiac rehabilitation for 16 years. He is a cofounder and past president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and for 20 years he was the executive director of the NSCA Certification Commission.

Baechle has been recognized as the force behind the creation of the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist andNSCA-Certified Personal Trainer examination programs. He has received awards for outstanding teaching and service from Creighton University, the NSCA’s most coveted awards (Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award), and other honors from international associations and organizations. Baechle also served on state and regional boards associated with the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD); as president of the National Organization of Competency Assurance (now called the Institute for Credentialing Excellence); and as a member of various other regional, national, and international boards. Baechle has authored, coauthored, or edited 13 other books, including the popular Fitness Weight Training.

Roger W. Earle, MA, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, is the Higher Education and Professional Division director for Human Kinetics.In this role, he oversees the content and the process of acquiring books and online courses in the physical activity field. He is also the head sport training coach for Threshold Sports Training, a comprehensive performance training business.

Previously, Earle worked with coauthor Thomas Baechle as the associate executive director for the NSCA Certification Commission, where he was responsible for promoting the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer examination programs. He also served as the head strength and conditioning coach and was a faculty member of the exercise science and athletic training department at Creighton University in Omaha. Earle has over 25 years of experience as a personal fitness trainer, competitive sport conditioning coach, and behavior modification facilitator for people of all ages and fitness levels. He has extensively lectured at national and international conferences about designing personalized exercise and training programs, weight management, and exercise motivation. Earle coauthored the first and second editions of Fitness Weight Training and coedited both the NSCA's Essentials ofPersonal Training and the second and third editions of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.