Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition

A must have.

This book is used to prepare those interested in getting the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification after college. After four years as an undergraduate for Exercise Science, I can say this book provides a very good but brief overview of Exercise Science and Sport Science, only scratching the surface to a very big area of study, with a great deal more to learn. Many topics are covered, but i've seen them covered better in other textbooks and lectures. If you're in an Exercise Science or Health promotion major, this will mostly be a review. For those not in the major, this book may appear to be a different language and you will most likely end up googling and finding definitions and more in depth explanations on wikipedia to fully understand certain concepts and terms, which should be encourage as it makes understanding and applying what you learn easier. Don't rent this book. I highly recommend buying if you're interested in strength and conditioning, coaching, or receiving the CSCS cert. If you're in the major listed above, you've seen this book on your professor's shelf for a reason. It's a damn good reference. EDIT: I've passed the most recent CSCS exam (july update edition) with only this book. However, I did see the exam prep after taking the exam, and the questions are VERY similar to the exam questions you will see when taking the CSCS. Read more