There are countless Bodybuilding courses, tutorials, articles available online, but for some, having a book is still a necessity to learn. This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
- The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised (1999)
- Bodybuilding: The Complete Contest Preparation Handbook (2019)
- Strength Training Anatomy, 3rd Edition (2010)
- Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (2019)
- The Ultimate Bodybuilding Cookbook: High-Impact Recipes to Make You Stronger Than Ever (2016)
- Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2014)
- The Bodybuilding Meal Prep Cookbook: Macro-Friendly Meals to Prepare, Grab, and Go (2019)
- Anatomy & Bodybuilding: A Complete Visual Guide (2015)
- Bodybuilding For Beginners: A 12-Week Program to Build Muscle and Burn Fat (2019)
- Men’s Health Natural Bodybuilding Bible: A Complete 24-Week Program For Sculpting Muscles That Show (2013)
- Joe Weider’s Ultimate Bodybuilding (1989)
- Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition (2011)
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised (1999)
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…
Bodybuilding: The Complete Contest Preparation Handbook (2019)
The popularity of bodybuilding is at an all-time high, and the sport is continuing to grow. But seasoned competitors and beginners often have questions about how to look their best on show day. Written by expert bodybuilding coaches Peter Fitschen and Cliff Wilson, Bodybuilding: The Complete Contest Preparation Handbook will guide you through every step of the process to select a competition, prepare for the contest, and make the transition to the off-season.
Strength Training Anatomy, 3rd Edition (2010)
With new exercises, additional stretches, and more of Frédéric Delavier’s signature illustrations, you’ll gain a whole new understanding of how muscles perform during strength exercises. This one-of-a-kind best-seller combines the visual detail of top anatomy texts with the best of strength training advice. Many books explain what muscles are used during exercise, but no other resource brings the anatomy to life like Strength Training Anatomy.
Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (2019)
If you want to get muscular, lean, and strong as quickly as possible . . . regardless of your age . . . you want to read this book.Here's the deal:Building muscle and burning fat isn't as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe. This book is the shortcut.
The Ultimate Bodybuilding Cookbook: High-Impact Recipes to Make You Stronger Than Ever (2016)
Say goodbye to the chicken breasts, broccoli, and egg whites you’re used to.
Jim Stoppani’s Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2014)
Finally, a research-based book that covers all facets of optimizing the development of muscle and strength.
The Bodybuilding Meal Prep Cookbook: Macro-Friendly Meals to Prepare, Grab, and Go (2019)
The Definitive Bodybuilding Meal Prep GuideThe Bodybuilding Meal Prep Cookbook takes the challenge out of fixing the healthy foods that are the key to sculpting your perfect body.
Anatomy & Bodybuilding: A Complete Visual Guide (2015)
The muscles of the back, shoulder, abdomen, arms and legs are featured with special sections for glutes and abs.
Bodybuilding For Beginners: A 12-Week Program to Build Muscle and Burn Fat (2019)
New to bodybuilding? This book helps with the heavy lifting.Bodybuilding for Beginners is the ultimate guide for new bodybuilders. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never set foot in a gym before: this book will have you bulking up in no time. Think of it as a personal trainer who’s always going to be there for you.Get essential bodybuilding info, like detailed walkthroughs of 55 exercises that’ll work your legs, chest, arms, and everything in between. Looking for a quick start―without the guesswork?
Men’s Health Natural Bodybuilding Bible: A Complete 24-Week Program For Sculpting Muscles That Show (2013)
It takes guts and dedication to meticulously sculpt an extremely lean and cut physique. If you are ready to build a competition-worthy body or just want to look like a pro, there is no better program than the total-body diet and workout plan revealed in Men’s Health Natural Bodybuilding Bible. It is THE how-to manual for anyone who wants to win his first bodybuilding competition the right way—purely, naturally, on guts, grit, and extreme dedication to diet and muscle craft.
Joe Weider’s Ultimate Bodybuilding (1989)
“This massive and authoritative Master Blaster book is the greatest bodybuilding book ever written, primarily because it is firmly based on the training principles of the Weider System of Bodybuilding, which have been followed by literally every bodybuilder in the modern history of the sport.
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition (2011)
Starting Strength has been called the best and most useful of fitness books. The second edition, Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, sold over 80,000 copies in a competitive global market for fitness education. Along with Practical Programming for Strength Training 2nd Edition, they form a simple, logical, and practical approach to strength training.
Best Bodybuilding Books You Should Enjoy
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some bodybuilding books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Hercules II bodybuilding system - bodyweight exercise physical fitness course
Author(s): Hercules II
ID: 2393216, Publisher: Hercules II, Year: early 1970's?, Size: 9 Mb, Format: pdf
Natural Bodybuilding And Body Recomposition: Slim With Muscles
Author(s): Andrea Raimondi
ID: 2874330, Publisher: AREdit.com, Year: 2021, Size: 2 Mb, Format: epub
The Ultimate Bodybuilding Book: An Effective 12-Week Workout And Nutrition Program To Build Muscle And Maximize Energy: Beginner Bodybuilding Plan
Author(s): Pankowski, Velva
ID: 2904530, Publisher: UNKNOWN, Year: 2021, Size: 20 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not final. Some books are really best-sellers according to Washington Post, others are composed by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.