6 books like The Complete Keys to Progress

By John McCallum,

Here are 6 books that authors have personally recommended if you like The Complete Keys to Progress. Shepherd is a community of 7,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding

By Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Dobbins,

Book cover of The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding

This is the book I started with, and the one almost all aspiring bodybuilders get as well. And for good reason. It contains everything you need to get started, from exercise explanations to workout programs, nutrition, dealing with injuries, posing, and competition preparation. Of course, the author seems to be a reliable source of this information ;-) Even after three decades of bodybuilding training, I still reach for this book for inspiration and information.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding

By Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Dobbins,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From elite bodybuilding competitors to gymnasts, from golfers to fitness gurus, anyone who works out with weights must own this book - a book that only Arnold Schwarzenegger could write, a book that has earned its reputation as "the bible of bodybuilding."

Inside, Arnold covers the very latest advances in both weight training and bodybuilding competition, with new sections on diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, and methods of training, each illustrated with detailed photos of some of bodybuilding's newest stars.

Covering every level of expertise and experience, with his unique perspective as a seven-time…


Keys to the Inner Universe

By Bill Pearl,

Book cover of Keys to the Inner Universe

Early in my bodybuilding career, a fellow gym member introduced me to this book. I was astounded by the sheer volume and variety of exercises and variations possible within those pages. Over 1,000 exercises are illustrated and described, so if you ever think you will get “bored” by training with weights, just flip open this book. There truly is a universe of options available. Oh, and Bill Pearl, 5-time Mr. Universe is still going strong lifting weights in his 90s. Variety is the key to longevity.

Keys to the Inner Universe

By Bill Pearl,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Keys to the Inner Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bill Pearl's Keys to the INNER Universe is the most complete and comprehensive manual ever published on bodybuilding and weight training.

Keys to the INNER Universe covers every major weight training topic from nutrition to mapping out various training programs. There are over 1200 fully illustrated exercises with proper names and a “degree of difficulty” given for each exercise shown in this encyclopedia. You can choose from hundreds of different exercises for each muscle group and select those exercises that are best suited for your present physical needs.

Pearl reveals ALL THE SECRETS used that enabled him to win the…


The Strongest Shall Survive

By Bill Starr,

Book cover of The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football

Why am I recommending a football strength training book for bodybuilding? Because every great bodybuilder is a good powerlifter at heart. Football training is about powerlifting movement, and there is no better source on this type of training than Bill Starr, the man who invented the modern strength training programs, used by all college and professional football teams, as well as professional strongmen and powerlifters. Starr learned these techniques from Tommy Kono, the most decorated weightlifter in American history, and he passed those lessons on to one of his students, Mark Rippetoe.

The Strongest Shall Survive

By Bill Starr,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Strongest Shall Survive as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The original classic strength training manual from the late 70's (third printing, revised first edition 1979)l. The purpose of the book is to help high school and college coaches set up functional strength programs with a minimum of equipment and time. It is also valuable to any athlete who trains on his own and needs direction. The manual was written by Bill Starr, a national Olympic weightlifting champion, who became one of the first professional strength coaches in the country when he trained the Baltimore Colts the year they won Super Bowl V. The 209-page reference contains over 200 photos…


Brother Iron, Sister Steel

By Dave Draper,

Book cover of Brother Iron, Sister Steel: A Bodybuilder's Book

If there was ever a bodybuilder’s bodybuilder, it was Dave Draper, the Blond Bomber. Dave was able to combine his blond-haired, good-looking California style of living and training, with a successful career in professional bodybuilding in the 1960s and 1970s (Mr. American, Mr. Universe, Mr. World), with a passion and eloquence in writing that was only matched by John McCallum. So, do yourself a favor, read Dave’s book and soak in the true essence of bodybuilding and his training wisdom.

Brother Iron, Sister Steel

By Dave Draper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Brother Iron, Sister Steel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Brother Iron, Sister Steel is a private journey into bodybuilding as only Dave Draper, former Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. World, can tell it. Training techniques, exercise descriptions and nutritional strategies form the book's foundation, but what glues this book together are Dave's personal experiences and insights, humor and candidness, all of which speak to the heart and soul. The delight in the iron work, the play of the steel and the redefined motivation will have you striving forward to reach your fitness and training goals.Further your iron journey—or take your first steps—as you find yourself caught up in…


Men's Health The Book of Muscle

By Ian King, Lou Schuler,

Book cover of Men's Health The Book of Muscle: The World's Most Authoritative Guide to Building Your Body

If you've never bought a workout book, this should be your first. And if you've tried all the others, this is the one that finally delivers everything you have ever wanted to know but couldn't find in one place. My book was the inspiration from The Book Of Muscle. This book I really enjoyed with the way everything was presented to me, and I wanted to present my information in a similar way.

Men's Health The Book of Muscle

By Ian King, Lou Schuler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Men's Health The Book of Muscle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A guide for men searching for the perfect body contains photographs celebrating the beauty of the human body, along with easy-to-understand terminology and workout programs geared toward all levels of discipline.


Buying Gay

By David K. Johnson,

Book cover of Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement

Before reading Buying Gay, I couldn’t imagine how physique photography—nude and semi-nude pictures of buff models that appeared in bodybuilding magazines and were available by mail-order—qualified for a place in gay history. In discussions of gay libido, of course, but history? Naw! Johnson showed me the light, revealing how important desire coupled with American capitalism was in the development of gay identity and community. Through the efforts (and talent and chutzpah) of men like photographer Bob Mizer and publisher H. Lynn Womack, gays won the right to express desire more openly than ever before after decades of battles against obscenity laws. In short, Johnson enabled me to see more deeply into the private lives of some of the men I’ve written about.

Buying Gay

By David K. Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Buying Gay as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1951, a new type of publication appeared on newsstands-the physique magazine produced by and for gay men. For many men growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, these magazines and their images and illustrations of nearly naked men, as well as articles, letters from readers, and advertisements, served as an initiation into gay culture. The publishers behind them were part of a wider world of "physique entrepreneurs": men as well as women who ran photography studios, mail-order catalogs, pen-pal services, book clubs, and niche advertising for gay audiences. Such businesses have often been seen as peripheral to the gay…


3 book lists we think you will like!

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