Top 10 Must Read Books on Fitness Coaching

10 Books for Every Fitness Coach

We put together this list of essential readings for personal trainers and fitness coaches like you to help you stand out in the field. These books are ones that our coaches have specifically suggested. This list includes items from the following four categories: training, business, nutrition, and personal development.

There is a book that is ideal for you no matter what you wish to study. Now explore the list and broaden your knowledge.

1. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: 6th Edition

NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training was written by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and first published in May 2007. Pursue. Transform and motivate.

Get the knowledge, wisdom, and motivation you require to make a difference in the world as a fitness practitioner. The fundamentals of exercise science, fitness evaluations, nutrition, and how to expand a personal trainer business are also covered.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been a pioneer in offering evidence-based certification and specialties since its founding in 1987. The most complete resource for prospective personal trainers, health and fitness professionals, and enthusiasts is still NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Sixth Edition.

This manual will give you a methodical method for creating workout programs that will assist anybody in reaching their fitness objectives using NASM’s exclusive Optimum Performance Training (OPTTM) paradigm.

Content geared toward readers includes:

• NEW NASM CPT Exam Prep Material offers Quick Check Concepts, test-taking tips, and current research pertinent to personal trainers.
• Protocols for a program to increase stability, strength, and power
• Techniques, goals, and safety advice for exercise
• Important terms are bolded and defined.
• Memory Joggers that emphasize topics Stretch Your Knowledge boxes that highlight key concepts and recent research
• Summary of each chapter with a list of essential points
• Many charts and illustrations in full color
• You’ll also receive a guide to muscle origin, insertion, and function, over 100 more exercises, OPT workout plans, a conversion table for one repetition maximum, and more.

This manual will give you a methodical method for creating workout programs that will assist anybody in reaching their fitness objectives using NASM’s exclusive Optimum Performance Training (OPTTM) paradigm.

The original edition of The NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training is available on Amazon for $55.

2. Ignite the Fire: The Secrets to Building a Successful Personal Training Career

Ignite the Fire was written by Jonathan Goodman and first published on April 3, 2012. Ignite the Fire is the extremely practical method of personal training that thousands of trainers worldwide have already embraced in its newly updated, enlarged, and improved edition.

It has been referred to time and time again as one of the “best books for personal trainers” because it gives you a clear road map on how to become a personal trainer, how to obtain a personal trainer certification, and how to build your career from the ground up to gain clients, establish a good reputation, and how to increase your income.

• You may learn how to: from this inspiring book for qualified personal trainers.
• Find your ideal position in the fitness sector (pg 26)
• Find your perfect client, promote to them, and close the sale while handling objections with ease (pg 64)
• Create challenging exercises for beginners (pg 124)
• Managing challenging customer types (pg 160)
• Create several sources of revenue while preserving your reputation (pg 202)

With the help of Ignite the Fire, you may create your profession from the ground up so that you can increase your clients, reputation, and revenue.

The original edition of Ignite the Fire is available on Amazon for $55.

3. American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual

American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual was written by American Council on Exercise and first published in 2014. The ACE Personal Trainer Manual is a fantastic fitness and exercise resource that students will use throughout their careers in health and fitness. It is a necessary study aid for the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam. The Third Edition of this book on health and fitness takes into account the most recent industry standards and research findings. This work covers every facet of personal training, from anatomy and physiology to injury prevention and legal considerations. It has been revised and updated by the original writers, and it has been improved by the addition of a new chapter on health behavior and psychology.

Six case examples that are typical of the sorts of clients that personal trainers might expect to work with are provided in this chapter. The client’s health history and goals are presented in each case study, and the client is then followed throughout the program while using progression templates, talking about challenges along the way, and considering potential solutions.

The original edition of the American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual is available on Amazon for $44.

4. Personal Fitness Training: Beyond The Basics

Personal Fitness Training was written by Joe Cannon and first published on November 10, 2014. The majority of books on personal training are: TOO EXPENSIVE; TOO LONG; TOO COMPLEX; they contain material that you will never use in the real world. Since more than ten years ago, Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, has worked as a self-employed personal trainer and instructor of personal training. 

He explains the science such that you may comprehend it. The second edition of Personal Fitness Training Beyond The Basics is a book on personal training that teaches you how to use exercise science to train customers in addition to the necessary exercise science. When working with customers, Joe himself is required to know the crucial information that is contained in this book. If Joe needs to know this knowledge, then so do YOU, is the guiding principle.

• This book concentrates on the information you need to know and omits the information you don’t. In this manner, you get EXACTLY what you require to excel as a personal trainer.
• This book also includes crucial information that the majority of others omit, such as: How to find customers How to find work Get a raise Exactly how to carry out 50 distinct exercises more things to do in an emergency
• This book’s chapters include: What to do when a new client comes in Getting a raise Physiology of muscles Heart and blood vessel physiology biology and anatomy
• How to create secure exercise programs with a section with questions and answers (including questions you WILL be asked by clients) Work with special populations.

The original edition of Personal Fitness Training is available on Amazon for $25.

5. The Fitness Mindset

The Fitness Mindset was written by Brian Keane and first published on June 26, 2017. The Fitness Attitude equips you with everything you need to get the physique of your dreams, increase your energy levels dramatically, and cultivate the mindset necessary to maintain it indefinitely.

When you use the principles Brian outlines in this audiobook, you will:

• Learn precisely which foods suit you best and how to eat to boost energy, burn fat, and develop lean muscle.
• To get the body you’ve always wanted, learn how to blend tension-style exercises with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
• Create better routines and discover your purpose to ensure you never lose motivation again.
• Develop coping mechanisms to reduce tension, worry, and the dread of relapsing so you can fortify your body and mind.
• Get in the greatest form of your life, both physically and mentally, at last.

The original edition of The Fitness Mindset is available on Amazon for $25.

6. Good to go.

Good to Go was written by Christie and first published on February 5, 2019.”Recovery” has recently gained popularity in the sports and fitness industries. Everyone who exercises or competes, regardless of their ability, is inundated with the newest recuperation goods and services, which range from beverages and smoothies to compression sleeves, foam rollers, electrical muscle stimulators, and sleep monitors.

Christie Aschwanden, a renowned scientific journalist for FiveThirtyEight, guides readers through this bizarre world in her book Good to Go. She looks at the newest trends among athletes, such as NFL star Tom Brady’s infrared pajamas, gymnast Simone Biles’ pneumatic compression boots, and swimmer Michael Phelps’ “cupping” ritual. She also puts some of the most contentious techniques to the test, such as cryo chambers, floatation tanks, and infrared saunas.

The original edition of Good to Go is available on Amazon for $27.

7. Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

Good Calories, Bad Calories was written by Gary Taubes and first published on September 25, 2007. We’ve been told for years that fat is unhealthy and carbs are healthier for us and that eating less and moving more is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Nevertheless, despite this guidance, obesity, and diabetes are on the rise at a never-before-seen rate. Taubes contends that the issue is with refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, quickly digestible starches, and sugars, and that the type of calories we consume, not the quantity, is the key to optimal health.

Award-winning science writer Gary Taubes’ ground-breaking book, which Michael Pollan and Andrew Weil both called “destined to change the way we think about food” and which Andrew Weil called “a very important book,” demonstrates that almost all of our preconceived notions about the nature of a healthy diet are incorrect.

The original edition of Good Calories, Bad Calories is available on Amazon for $10.

8. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide was written by Roberta Larson and first published on April 18, 2017. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide has consistently been the go-to source for guidance on healthy eating and active living at every age and stage of life since its first, hugely popular edition in 1996. The resource meets the requirements of both consumers and healthcare professionals by skillfully balancing a practical focus with the most recent scientific knowledge. It is both approachable and authoritative. It empowers users to customize their routes to healthy living through straightforward tactics by choosing flexibility over strict dos and don’ts.

In its newly revised Fifth Edition, which is divided into sections on Choices for Wellness, Food from Farm to Fork, Know Your Nutrients, Food for Every Age and Stage of Life, and Smart Eating to Prevent and Manage Health Issues, the most recent dietary recommendations, consumer concerns, public health needs, market and lifestyle trends are all addressed.

The original edition of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide is available on Amazon for $25.

9. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning was Developed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and first published on November 16, 2015. The scope and substance of the fourth edition of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning have been updated with HKPropel Access to reflect the most recent material on the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam as well as to express the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of a strength and conditioning specialist. The manual is the main resource to rely on for CSCS test preparation due to its evidence-based methodology and unrivaled accuracy.

• The organization of the publication guides readers from theory through program creation and usable management and administration techniques for strength and conditioning facilities. The fourth version includes various new features as well as the most recent research and applications:
• Online videos of 21 resistance training exercises show the right exercise form for usage in the gym and the classroom.
• Readers may better comprehend these prevalent trends in the business thanks to recent research, particularly in the fields of high-intensity interval training, overtraining, agility and change of direction, nutrition for health and performance, and periodization.
• Techniques for workouts employing unconventional modes and objects are presented in a new chapter that includes directions and photographs.
• Professionals may develop programs that adhere to current criteria with the use of ten more tests, such as those for maximal strength, power, and aerobic capacity, as well as new flexibility exercises, resistance training activities, plyometric workouts, and speed and agility drills.

The original edition of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is available on Amazon for $82.

10. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding was written by Arnold Schwarzenegger and first published in 1985. With new sections on diet and nutrition, sports psychology, the treatment and prevention of injuries, and training methods, Arnold covers the most recent developments in both weight training and bodybuilding competition. Each section is illustrated with in-depth photographs of some of the sport’s newest stars.

Additionally, this book has every aspect that has made it a classic, including:

• Arnold’s time-tested advice for shaping, defining, and bolstering every muscle to achieve the ideal buff body.
• The best strength training techniques to meet your demands, whether you’re an amateur athlete or a professional bodybuilder getting ready for a competition.
• Deep knowledge of health, nutrition, and dietary supplements to help you gain muscle, burn fat, and keep your energy levels at their peak.
• Professional guidance on injury prevention and treatment connected to sports
• Tactics and strategies for bodybuilders competing, from choosing postures to handling publicity
• A pictorial “Bodybuilding Hall of Fame,” detailing the intriguing development of bodybuilding as a sport.
• And, of course, throughout, Arnold’s brand of encouragement and motivation

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding helps you reach your personal best by covering every level of knowledge and experience. Arnold offers his tips for devotion, training, and commitment to you and demonstrates how to take charge of your body and reach your potential for greatness from his unique viewpoint as a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner and all-around international movie star.The original edition of The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding is available on Amazon for $24.