Lindy Health has built the ulimate list of the best bodybuilding books for every type of weightlifter.
Bodybuilding has become one of the most typical ways to improve self-appearance, coordination, and stay healthy. Whatever your goal is, as a bodybuilder, every opportunity to stay motivated and on track with your course is essential. Lindy Health recognizes this, so we have developed a list of books to help you on this journey.
We have already compiled several best book lists including the best vintage and contest prep bodybuilding books.
Whether as a bodybuilder just starting up or as a professional, whether as a woman or as a man, whatever the case is, we have books to help you achieve your goals. These books have been placed into categories to fit your preference, and they have also been carefully reviewed.
Best Bodybuilding Books for Men
A great variety of Bodybuilding books are available on various platforms. Lindy health has come up with a list of ideal bodybuilding books that contain effective programs, inspirational stories, or feasible workout plans to help you achieve your desired physique.
In your search for books to aid the achievement of your body goals, here are the top recommended books by Lindy Health.
Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Written by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Father of Bodybuilding. Arnold was known to train frequently and knew the delicate aspects of bodybuilding.
He trained 5-6 hours daily, six days each week. He then put his ideas into a book to help those who want to do the work but don't know how to go intense.
- Comprehensive and step-by-step programs of Arnold’s training secrets
- Pictures of Arnold in action to describe each exercise
- Workout procedures are progressive
- Intense exercises; only participate if you are ready to do the job.
Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training
This book highlights exercises that help you achieve more potent and polished muscles, especially in the lower body.
Written by Bret Contreras and Glen Cordoza, this book takes you from knowing your anatomy to helping your muscles grow right.
- Includes field-tested & scientifically proven methods to strengthen the glute
- Well-detailed explanation of the anatomy, importance, and functions of glutes
- Step-by-step programs with pictures
- Includes technical terms that non-science readers might find challenging
The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40
Strength for Training for Life After 40. The Authors (Jonathan M. Sullivan and Andy Baker) address the loss of strength as one advance in age. In this book, the author clarifies that, in this case, easy does not do it.
Hence, training procedures are put together to help you build your body into what you want, even at an advanced age.
- Contains comprehensive information
- Adequate for all ages, but targeted at strength for aging people
- Provides training for strength and health in a no-nonsense manner
- Completing the book requires a lot of time
- Commitment to training might be difficult due to a lack of supervision
Best Bodybuilding Books for Beginners
Starting your journey as a new bodybuilder might seem overwhelming with the amount of information in various spaces, which might seem conflicting.
To achieve that body goal or to maintain a healthy figure, Lindy health has compiled a list of bodybuilding books that you can easily find on amazon to help you on this journey.
Bodybuilding For Beginners: A 12-Week Program to Build Muscle and Burn Fat
A 12-week Program to Build Muscle and Burn Fat. Authored by Kyle Hunt, this book compiles various workouts that work on your legs, arms, and every other muscle.
Your workout history does not matter, as these pieces of training are beginner-friendly and the best place to start your fitness journey.
- Easy exercises that you are familiar with, like lifting or squat
- Contains dietary guidelines
- It contains routines that last 84 days to build your strength and develop confidence
- Gym equipment is required; however, there are alternatives (which might not get the job done)
Bodybuilding Basic Training: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Muscle
The absolute beginner’s guide to building muscle.
This manual written by Brad Borland contains refined workout procedures that have been proven. With weekly training programs, you get to achieve your desired body easily.
The book's plain text makes it the perfect guide for beginners.
- Provides a guide for beginners or for anyone that desires to start all over
- It contains 58 programs which mean many options for your daily workout
- Pictures are provided to give clear guidance
- Difficult to measure progress
Home Workout: 15-Minute Effective Home Workouts: To Build Lean Muscle and Lose Weight (Home Workout, Home Workout Plan, Home Workout For Beginners) (Bodybuilding Series)
15-minute Effective Home Workouts by Felix Harder. As a beginner in bodybuilding, your focus for the first few weeks should be on improving stamina.
Small workout sessions can effectively build you up from a novice to an advanced bodybuilder.
You can do workouts and exercises between the walls of your home and at your convenience; this book helps you through the procedures required to build your form and improve your stamina.
- You can do workouts comfortably in your home.
- Step-by-step instructions are provided, which are easy to follow
- Workout cuts across form building, weight loss, diet, and muscle growth
- No instructor to measure progress
No BS! No Excuse Workout Journal: Fitness Journal and Planner
Fitness journal and planner for workouts, weight loss, bodybuilding, and exercise. This 6×9-inch book authored by Envision Journals, allows you to log in to your daily workout programs to track your weight, strength, and reps. It is a practical book for a beginner as it helps you measure your gym effectiveness.
- Enough space to write all your goals and track the progress
- Light, small, and easy to carry around
- Attractive cover, which makes it look like a clean logbook
- Only available in paperback
Best Bodybuilding Books for Advanced Bodybuilders
One important point to note about bodybuilding is that learning always happens.
It does not matter if you are starting or calling yourself a professional bodybuilder; bodybuilding is a continual process, and so is learning how to do it!
As an advanced Bodybuilder, there are books to help you gain more experience, and Lindy Health provides a list of highly reviewed books to aid your goal.
Rebuilding Milo: A Lifter's Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation for Enhancing Performance
The Lifter’s Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation.
This book, written by Olympic weightlifting coach and sports Physical therapist Dr. Aaron Horschig, addresses options through which bodybuilders or athletes can get rid of pains and injuries in the weight room to reach their most significant potential.
- The author uses his years of experience to educate bodybuilders on the causes of the pains experienced and how to rise above them.
- The book contains simple and easy-to-understand terms.
- Highly informative
- Hardcover gets damaged easily
- Quite expensive
The World's Fittest Book: How to train for anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere
This Book, written by Ross Edgley; one of the World's Most Traveled Fitness Experts, compiles more than ten years of knowledge and experience in sport, fitness, and nutrition to provide a wholesome book for every professional bodybuilder out there.
This book employs tips and tricks by Olympic and World champions in an easy-to-follow manner.
- Each chapter contains easy-to-do workouts along with the science behind them.
- Includes kitchen habits and how they aid success in the weight room
- Guidance of the world’s strongest men on how to lift weights and squat
- Aids readers in improving endurance also with experts’ guidance
- Paperback and Kindle versions are costly
- It does not contain much on fitness procedures
Functional Training and Beyond: Building the Ultimate Superfunctional Body and Mind
Adam Sinicki's book provides knowledge on how to train the mind to be as effective as the physical body.
Most people see bodybuilding as weight training or a means to get leaner; however, Mr. Sinicki looks beyond this scope as he shares how a trained mind makes one well-rounded.
- It gives insight into training the mind for functionality
- Available on Kindle and in paperback
- Knowledge of many ways to train the body and mind
- The book is quite expensive but worth it
- The information does not include practical steps to follow
The Resistance Training Revolution: The No-Cardio Way to Burn Fat and Age-Proof Your Body―in Only 60 Minutes a Week
Sal Di Stefano believes that 60 minutes a week can help you become a better bodybuilder than you were in the past.
The knowledge of myths and truths behind fitness, the proper nutrition, and the health benefits of resistance are provided in this book to help you make informed choices on your fitness journey.
- The book is available as a paperback, hardcover, audiobook, and on Kindle
- Tips on how to improve overall health are provided
- Self-assessment tests to track progress
- Workout routines are not comprehensive
Best Nutrition Books for Bodybuilders
Anyone familiar with the intricacies of bodybuilding would understand that how a bodybuilder eats reflects how he performs.
Nutrition provides all the energy needed to do the rigorous work required in exercising your muscles and repairing worn-out muscles and tissues. As a bodybuilder, you cannot overlook the importance of nutrition; hence this list of nutritional books will help you make healthier choices for improved health.
The Bodybuilding Meal Prep Cookbook: Macro-Friendly Meals to Prepare, Grab, and Go
This cookbook by Michelle Vodrazka contains healthy food choices that will further propel you to achieve the best physique that you desire.
With macro-rich dishes, this book directs you on what to prepare week-long as you also perform your physical activities.
Provided recipes also contain details of energy intake, so you know how many calories you take in each meal.
- 6-week meal plan with a step-by-step guide
- Easy-to-understand instructions
- 40+ additional recipes beyond the 6-week plan
- The meal plan does not specify the required intake per weight
The Bodybuilder's Kitchen: 100 Muscle-Building, Fat Burning Recipes, with Meal Plans to Chisel Your Physique
The author of this book, Erin Stern, understands that what happens in the kitchen significantly impacts a bodybuilder's appearance.
Hence, she provides 100 recipes with key macronutrients and nutritional value. The book also includes a 5-week meal plan for a chiseled body.
- Easy-to-understand and follow steps on nutrition.
- Plans for ketogenic dieting, calorie cycling, and carb cycling are included.
- The book has guidelines on when to eat, what, and how to manage nutrition
- Wrong paging with the paperback copies
Best Bodybuilding Books for Women
Well, ladies, first! There are many myths surrounding bodybuilding for women, and to make your journey easy, we have compiled this list of great bodybuilding books for women.
They contain tips, inspirational stories, and educational materials to help you achieve that bikini body or that goal you have been meaning to achieve.
Weight Training for Women: Exercises and Workout Programs
Exercises and Workout Programs for Building Strength with Free Weights.
The Author, Brittany Noelle, compiles a list of workout procedures that are simple and easy to follow. With a rating of 4.4 of 5, a user described it as the "best strength training routine out there."
- Instructions are given step-by-step and beginner friendly
- Provides both physical and mental benefits
- The book is available in paperback, on Kindle and spiral-bound
- Effective for all age groups
- Specific weight amounts are not provided
- Free weights are needed for an effective workout
The Year One Challenge for Women: Thinner, Leaner, and Stronger Than Ever in 12 Months
Thinner, Leaner, and Stronger Than Ever in 12 Months. Michael Matthews compiled science-based knowledge into this women’s book to help make informed choices that yield results.
According to this fitness author, this book does not contain dubious content or "hacks"; however, there are tested science-based approaches to reach your goal.
- A year’s worth of daily and weekly challenge
- Science-based approach with nutritional guidelines
- Available in paperback, hardcover, and on Kindle
- Equipment is needed for the majority of the workouts
- To fully understand, you may be required to read the accompanying book
The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You!
Four Weeks to a Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You! NSCA certified strength & conditioning coach, Adam Campbell, puts together hundreds of useful tips to help women achieve their body goals in this book.
- The book contains over 100 exercises with 20 workouts
- Tips and tricks for effective workouts by experts
- The science behind exercise
- The book is only available in paperback
Conclusion
Your journey towards achieving your perfect body goal is not in a workshop alone or at the gym; as much as the practice is critical, what you know about bodybuilding matters in how well you practice.
The best place to find knowledge is in books; Lindy Health has therefore compiled a list of great books to help you scale every hurdle on your way till you get that body you want.
Read, eat and practice, and you will have nothing preventing your success.
Do you have a favorite bodybuilding book?
Let us know in the comments below!
How? I built an entire team, including a personal trainer, nutritionist, psychologist, physical therapist, and sports masseuse.
Having the same team as Hollywood stars allowed me to reach my goals fast and produce insane results.
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