Bruce Von Stiers

Alpha Books has a lot more going for it than just the Idiot’s Guides. They have books on bank robberies and how to get into college. They also have a book that helps you get started on your way to better athletic performance. This book is titled Strength, Speed & Power. It was written by Everett Aaberg. This guy has a whole bunch of credentials, making him somewhat of an expert on fitness.

The book is soft cover with 228 pages. It is set up in 7 chapters with a Bibliography and a 9 page Index. The book has a number of illustrations in it. They are only in black and white but are well drawn.

The first chapter in the book, The Human Body: Anatomical Design and Function, goes through things like the passive body system and the active body system. The passive system is explained as one that doesn’t require any independent action from muscles or bones. The active system is where “movement is totally dependent of the muscular or active system.” This chapter also has a series of illustrations on the different joint movements in the body.

The second chapter is Strength and Endurance, Stability and Mobility. This chapter discusses the various bio-motor abilities that the body has. Did you know that the human body has seven major bio-motor abilities? They are Strength, Endurance, Stability, Mobility, Speed, Agility and Power. Each of these abilities are described and discussed in this chapter and the one immediately following it. This chapter tells you about speed and the running mechanics associated with it.

In chapter 3 you will learn about things like joint integrity and other power prerequisites. In chapter 4 you will learn that ROM means not only Read Only Memory but also Range of Motion. There is actually a four page segment on ROM in this chapter. Everett goes through a lot of effort to make sure that the reader understands the various components of a power workout. These descriptions not only detail what can be done but also what to avoid.

The fifth chapter begins the exercises that are really the nuts and bolts of this book. Learn some core exercises like Two-Point Core Activation and Quadraplex. Next move on to some trunk exercises using an incline bench. Each exercise has an illustration that accompanies it. There is also a description of how to perform the exercise.

You will learn how to use dumbbells and barbells for more than plain weight lifting. There are wide dumbbell squats, traveling lunges and delt presses. There are exercises that make use of Swiss balls and cable weight training systems. The book has exercises for both the upper and lower body.

Chapter 6 features 34 exercises that will aid in your desire for better speed, agility and power. There is power skipping, lateral crossover runs and backpedal plants with a sprint. Some of the upper body exercises in this chapter include a forward underhand throw of the medicine ball and a hang clean with the barbell.

The last chapter goes through what you will need to do in order to develop a progressive training program. This chapter will cover things like program cycles and training phases. It also has several charts that show the number of reps for each exercise and what body part is affected.

Each chapter concludes with a summary of what was covered.

If you are looking for a book to show how to put your body on a path towards better strength and agility, then this book should be one of your first purchases. It has a lot of good information about the muscle structure of the body and how to get the most out of a high intensity exercise program. And there are more than 100 exercises that are illustrated and described in the book.

Pick up a copy of Strength, Speed & Power at retailers like Barnes and Noble.